calends

or kal·ends

[ kal-uhndz ]

noun

, (usually used with a plural verb)

1. the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar, from which the days of the preceding month were counted backward to the ides.

calends

/ ˈkælɪndz /

plural noun

1. the first day of each month in the ancient Roman calendar

Word History and Origins

Origin of calends¹

1325–75; Middle English kalendes, alteration (with native plural suffix) of Latin kalendae, perhaps equivalent to cal- (base of calāre to proclaim) + -end- formative suffix (perhaps for *-and- ) + -ae plural ending

Word History and Origins

Origin of calends¹

C14: from Latin kalendae; related to Latin calāre to proclaim

Example Sentences

The inscription refers to "the sixteenth day prior to the Calends of November," the equivalent date of Oct.

From Fox News

Archeologists recently discovered that a worker had inscribed the date of “the 16th day before the calends of November”, meaning 17 October, on a house at Pompeii, the head of archeology at the site, Massimo Osanna, told Italian media.

From The Guardian

But it is dated to 16 days before the "calends" of November in the old Roman calendar style - which is 17 October in our modern dating method.

From BBC

And the blessed Praxedis collected their bodies by night, and buried them in the cemetery of Priscilla, on the seventh day of the calends of June.

From Project Gutenberg

If Janiveer calends be summerly gay 'Twill be winterly weather till calends of May.

From Project Gutenberg