intercalary
/in'tə:kələri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Inserted into a calendar: Describes an extra day, month, or period inserted into a calendar to synchronize it with the solar or seasonal year.
- Interposed or intervening: More broadly, can describe something inserted or added between other parts or elements.
Usage and Examples
Primary Usage (Calendar):
- February 29 is an intercalary day added to the Gregorian calendar every four years.
- The ancient Roman calendar used an intercalary month to correct the discrepancy with the solar cycle.
Extended Usage (General):
- The book contains an intercalary chapter that provides essential historical context.
- The researcher published an intercalary report between the main quarterly updates.
Advanced Usage
"Intercalary growth": In botany, growth that occurs at the base of an organ (like a leaf or stem), allowing it to continue lengthening.
- Grasses exhibit intercalary growth, which is why they can regrow quickly after being cut.
"Intercalary year": A synonym for a leap year.
- The next intercalary year will be 2028.
Variants and Related Words
Intercalate (verb): To insert (an extra day, month, etc.) into a calendar sequence; to interpolate.
- The council voted to intercalate a month to align the festival with the harvest season.
Intercalation (noun): The action of intercalating; an inserted interval.
- The intercalation of a day every four years keeps our calendar accurate.
Synonyms
- Inserted
- Interpolated
- Interposed
- Leap (as in or )
Antonyms
- Omitted
- Regular (in the context of a standard, non-leap year)
- Standard
Related Phrases and Contexts
Intercalary month: Specifically refers to an extra month added to a lunisolar calendar.
- The Hebrew calendar adds an intercalary month seven times in a 19-year cycle.
Intercalary day: Specifically refers to an extra day, like February 29.
- People born on an intercalary day often celebrate their birthday on February 28 or March 1 in non-leap years.
Adjective
- having a day or month inserted to make the calendar year correspond to the solar year: "Feb. 29 is an intercalary day"
- a leap year is an intercalary year