# many moons ago

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/many-moons-ago
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A (very) long time ago.

## Examples

- I visited that city many moons ago.
- We were best friends many moons ago, but we lost touch after moving to different countries.
- The old lighthouse, built many moons ago, still stands as a silent witness to the changing tides of the coast.

## Origin

The phrase alludes to the premodern reliance on lunar calendars, in which a moon served as the primary measure of a month. It preserves a time when the passage of months was tracked by the cycle of the satellite rather than the artificial divisions of a solar calendar.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.