# day

> English word · Noun · IPA /deɪ̯/ · frequency rank #120

## Definitions
1. The time when the Sun is above the horizon and it lights the sky.
2. A period of time equal or almost equal to a full day-night cycle, being 24 hours long.
3. A period of time equal or almost equal to a full day-night cycle, being 24 hours long.
4. A period of time equal or almost equal to a full day-night cycle, being 24 hours long.
5. A 24-hour period beginning at 6am or sunrise.
6. A period of time between two set times which mark the beginning and the end of day in a calendar, such as from midnight to the following midnight or (Judaism) from nightfall to the following nightfall.
7. The rotational period of a planet.
8. The part of a day period which one spends at one’s job, school, etc.
9. An observance lasting for a day, such as an annual holiday.
10. A specified time or period; time, considered with reference to the existence or prominence of a person or thing; age; time; era.
11. A period of contention of a day or less.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-?
Proto-Germanic *dagaz
Proto-West Germanic *dag
Old English dæġ
Middle English day
English day
Inherited from Middle English day, from Old English dæġ, from Proto-West Germanic *dag, from Proto-Germanic *dagaz (“day”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots day, dei, dey, dy (“day”), Yola daie, dei, dey, die (“day”), North Frisian dai, doi, däi (“day”), Saterland Frisian Dai (“day”), West Frisian dei (“day”), Bavarian Dåg, Tåg (“day”), Central Franconian Daach (“day”), Cimbrian tag, tage (“day”), Dutch dag, dagge (“day”), German Tag (“day”), German Low German Dag, Dagg (“day”), Limburgish Daach, Daag (“day”), Luxembourgish Dag (“day”), Mòcheno ta (“day”), Vilamovian taog (“day”), West Flemish dag (“day”), Yiddish טאָג (tog, “day”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dag (“day”), Faroese and Icelandic dagur (“day”), Norn dagh (“day”), Crimean Gothic tag (“day”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (dags, “day”), Vandalic *dag- (“day”); also Breton deviñ (“to burn”), Cornish dewi (“to kindle”), Irish daigh (“fire, flame”), dóigh (“to burn, singe; sear, scorch”), Manx daah (“to scorch, singe; to cauterize”), Scottish Gaelic dòth (“scorch, singe; burn”), Welsh deifio (“to scorch, singe”), Latin foveō (“to warm, keep warm”), Greek τέφρα (téfra, “ash, cinder”), Albanian dhez, ndez (“to kindle, light”), Old Prussian dagis (“summer”), Armenian հրդեհ (hrdeh, “fire”), Sanskrit दह् (dah, “to burn, consume by fire, scorch, roast”).

## Easily confused with
- **do** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-do)
- **Dr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dr)
- **de** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-de)
- **DC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dc)
- **di** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-di)
- **DJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dj)
- **DM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dm)
- **DB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-db)
- **DS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-ds)
- **DD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dd)
- **DL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dl)
- **DT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dt)
- **DP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dp)
- **dw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dw)
- **Dx** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dx)
- **DG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dg)
- **DV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dv)
- **dy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dy)
- **DQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-dq)
- **did** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/day-vs-did)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/day