leap year

English

noun
Definitions
  • A year in the Julian Julian or Gregorian calendars with an intercalary day added to February, used to adjust for the extra hours of the solar year; a 366-day year.
  • (inexact) Any other year featuring intercalation, such as a year in a lunisolar calendar with 13 months instead of 12, used to maintain its alignment with the seasons of the solar year.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English lepe yeer compound from English leap (trap snare for fish made from twigs, basket, a basket) + English year.

Origin

English

year

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms