Year n.
 1. The time of the apparent revolution of the sun trough the ecliptic; the period occupied by the earth in making its revolution around the sun, called the astronomical year; also, a period more or less nearly agreeing with this, adopted by various nations as a measure of time, and called the civil year; as, the common lunar year of 354 days, still in use among the Mohammedans; the year of 360 days, etc. In common usage, the year consists of 365 days, and every fourth year (called bissextile, or leap year) of 366 days, a day being added to February on that year, on account of the excess above 365 days (see Bissextile).
    Of twenty year of age he was, I guess.   --Chaucer.
 Note: ☞ The civil, or legal, year, in England, formerly commenced on the 25th of March. This practice continued throughout the British dominions till the year 1752.
 2. The time in which any planet completes a revolution about the sun; as, the year of Jupiter or of Saturn.
 3. pl. Age, or old age; as, a man in years.
 Anomalistic year, the time of the earth's revolution from perihelion to perihelion again, which is 365 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 48 seconds.
 A year's mind Eccl., a commemoration of a deceased person, as by a Mass, a year after his death.  Cf. A month's mind, under Month.
 Bissextile year. See Bissextile.
 Canicular year. See under Canicular.
 Civil year, the year adopted by any nation for the computation of time.
 Common lunar year, the period of 12 lunar months, or 354 days.
 Common year, each year of 365 days, as distinguished from leap year.
 Embolismic year, or Intercalary lunar year, the period of 13 lunar months, or 384 days.
 Fiscal year Com., the year by which accounts are reckoned, or the year between one annual time of settlement, or balancing of accounts, and another.
 Great year. See Platonic year, under Platonic.
 Gregorian year, Julian year. See under Gregorian, and Julian.
 Leap year. See Leap year, in the Vocabulary.
 Lunar astronomical year, the period of 12 lunar synodical months, or 354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, 36 seconds.
 Lunisolar year. See under Lunisolar.
 Periodical year. See Anomalistic year, above.
 Platonic year, Sabbatical year. See under Platonic, and Sabbatical.
 Sidereal year, the time in which the sun, departing from any fixed star, returns to the same. This is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 9.3 seconds.
 Tropical year. See under Tropical.
 Year and a day O. Eng. Law, a time to be allowed for an act or an event, in order that an entire year might be secured beyond all question. --Abbott.
 Year of grace, any year of the Christian era; Anno Domini; A. D. or a. d.
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 Civ·il a.
 1. Pertaining to a city or state, or to a citizen in his relations to his fellow citizens or to the state; within the city or state.
 2. Subject to government; reduced to order; civilized; not barbarous; -- said of the community.
    England was very rude and barbarous; for it is but even the other day since England grew civil.   --Spenser.
 3. Performing the duties of a citizen; obedient to government; -- said of an individual.
    Civil men come nearer the saints of God than others; they come within a step or two of heaven.   --Preston
 4. Having the manners of one dwelling in a city, as opposed to those of savages or rustics; polite; courteous; complaisant; affable.
 Note: ☞ “A civil man now is one observant of slight external courtesies in the mutual intercourse between man and man; a civil man once was one who fulfilled all the duties and obligations flowing from his position as a 'civis' and his relations to the other members of that 'civitas.'”
 5. Pertaining to civic life and affairs, in distinction from military, ecclesiastical, or official state.
 6. Relating to rights and remedies sought by action or suit distinct from criminal proceedings.
 Civil action, an action to enforce the rights or redress the wrongs of an individual, not involving a criminal proceeding.
 Civil architecture, the architecture which is employed in constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in distinction from military and naval architecture, as private houses, palaces, churches, etc.
 Civil death. Law. See under Death.
 Civil engineering. See under Engineering.
 Civil law. See under Law.
 Civil list. See under List.
 Civil remedy Law, that given to a person injured, by action, as opposed to a criminal prosecution.
 Civil service, all service rendered to and paid for by the state or nation other than that pertaining to naval or military affairs.
 Civil service reform, the substitution of business principles and methods for the spoils system in the conduct of the civil service, esp. in the matter of appointments to office.
 Civil state, the whole body of the laity or citizens not included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical states.
 Civil suit. Same as Civil action.
 Civil war. See under War.
 Civil year. See under Year.
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 civil year
      n : the year (reckoned from January 1 to December 31) according
          to Gregorian calendar [syn: calendar year]