tropical year

noun

1. a division of time equal to about 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, representing the interval between one vernal equinox and the next.

tropical year

noun

1. another name for solar year See year

tropical year

1. A solar year.
2. See under solar time

Word History and Origins

Origin of tropical year¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

This rate is known as the mean tropical year.

From Scientific American

This would indeed be the case if the mean value of the civil year of the Julian calendar was exactly equal to the tropical year.

From Project Gutenberg

Accurate observations with the elaborate apparatus used by professional astronomers show that this period, which is called a tropical year, is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds.

From Project Gutenberg

The tropical year being thus ascertained, their tables showed the exact time of the equinox or sun's transit across the equatorial, and of the solstice.

From Project Gutenberg

The scheme itself denotes, not only a very certain mode of keeping the record of time, but a very exact knowledge of the tropical year.

From Project Gutenberg