I. ˈyestə(r)dē, -di, -(r)(ˌ)dā, rapid ˈyes(t)dē or -di adverb
Etymology: Middle English yisterday, yesterday, from Old English giestran dæg, geostran dæg, gystran dæg, n. & adverb, from giestran yesterday + dæg day; akin to Old High German gestaron yesterday, Old Norse ī gær yesterday, tomorrow, Gothic gistradagis tomorrow, Latin heri yesterday, Greek chthes, Sanskrit hyas
1. : on the day last past : on the day preceding today
the affair took place yesterday
2. : at a time not long past : only a short time ago
I was not born yesterday
II. noun
Etymology: Middle English yisterday, yesterday, from Old English geostran dæg
1. : the day last past : the day next before the present
had come up into the bows to resume his yesterday ' s toil — C.S.Forester
2. : recent time : time not long past
nobody comprehended the footwork of a running animal until the yesterday of instantaneous photography — R.C.Murphy
late in the earth's history, a mere geologic yesterday — Marjory S. Douglas
3. : past time — usually used in plural
all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death — Shakespeare
far back in the dim yesterdays — Stanley Walker
the beauty they love is all in their tremendous yesterday — Mollie Panter-Downes
III. adjective
: of or relating to yesterday or to a very recent time or period