English Reference
Idiom idiom

year dot


A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

My grandfather has lived in this house since the year dot.

CONTEXTUAL

That old machine has been sitting in the corner of the office since the year dot, and nobody knows how to use it.

COMPLEX

The traditions of this remote village have remained unchanged since the year dot, preserved by generations who value their ancient heritage above all else.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a year and a day

    A long time.

  2. 02

    banner year

    An especially fruitful year; a year of exceptional production.

  3. 03

    be a hundred years too early

    To be so immature and unprepared as to have no hope of achieving an accomplishment.

  4. 04

    connect the dots

    To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation.

  5. 05

    donkey's years

    A long time, years and years.

  6. 06

    dot the i's and cross the t's

    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; to be meticulous or thorough; to finish off something close to complete.

  7. 07

    four score and seven years ago

    Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago.

  8. 08

    golden years

    Old age; especially, the leisure years in later life after one has retired from employment.

Last updated August 10, 2026