bissextile

[ bahy-seks-til, -tahyl, bih- ]

adjective

1. containing or noting the extra day of leap year:

   The years 1980 and 1984 were both bissextile.

noun

1. leap year.

bissextile

/ bɪˈsɛkstaɪl /

adjective

1. (of a month or year) containing the extra day of a leap year

noun

1. a rare name for leap year

Word History and Origins

Origin of bissextile¹

1585–95; < Late Latin bi ( s ) sextilis ( annus ) leap year, equivalent to bissext ( us ) bissextus + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of bissextile¹

C16: from Late Latin bissextilis annus leap year, from Latin bissextus , from bi- ¹+ sextus sixth; referring to February 24, the 6th day before the Calends of March

Example Sentences

I refer you to Montucla, if you have any doubt about the Egyptian year being of 365 days without bissextile of any kind.

From Project Gutenberg

The fourth year was bissextile, and the dominical letters were F, E; the following year D, and so on.

From Project Gutenberg

The bissextile is known to have been used by the Mayas, Tzendals, and Quichés, and it was probably common.

From Project Gutenberg

Can we therefore believe that the Egyptians before this period were ignorant of the bissextile intercalation?

From Project Gutenberg

This fourth year was denominated Bissextile, because the sixth day before the Kalends of March was reckoned twice.

From Project Gutenberg