BISSEXTILE

Etymology

Adjective

bissextile (not comparable)

Having an intercalary day, particularly the quadrennial leap day of the Julian and Gregorian calendars traditionally placed as a "second sixth" day before March 1st.

Hypernyms

• intercalary, leap

Noun

bissextile (plural bissextiles)

synonym of leap year: a year with an intercalary day.

Source: Wiktionary


Bis*sex"tile, n. Etym: [L. bissextilis annus, fr. bissextus (bis + sextus sixth, fr. sex six) the sixth of the calends of March, or twenty-fourth day of February, which was reckoned twice every fourth year, by the intercalation of a day.]

Definition: Leap year; every fourth year, in which a day is added to the month of February on account of the excess of the tropical year (365 d. 5 h. 48 m. 46 s.) above 365 days. But one day added every four years is equivalent to six hours each year, which is 11 m. 14 s. more than the excess of the real year. Hence, it is necessary to suppress the bissextile day at the end of every century which is not divisible by 400, while it is retained at the end of those which are divisible by 400.

Bis*sex"tile, a.

Definition: Pertaining to leap year.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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