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date

US //ˈdeɪt// UK //dˈeɪt// date
  1. 1 calendar day (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a specific day of the month and year.

    a particular day specified by its number in the month and the year.

    Example

    Please write the date at the top of your test paper.

    Example

    The contract becomes legally binding on the date specified in the final paragraph of the agreement.
    Pitfall
    What date is it today?
    What is the date today?

    While 'What date is it?' is common in speech, 'What is the date?' is the standard way to ask for the calendar day.

  2. 2 romantic meeting (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a planned meeting with someone you like in a romantic way.

    a pre-arranged social engagement, typically for the purpose of romantic courtship.

    Example

    They are going on a date to the cinema this Friday night.

    Example

    After weeks of messaging, they finally agreed on a dinner date at a quiet bistro downtown.
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  1. 3 romantic partner (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the person you are going on a date with.

    the person with whom one has a social or romantic engagement.

    Example

    He brought a date to his sister's wedding.

    Example

    She introduced her date to the rest of the group before they headed into the concert hall.
  2. 4 fruit (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    a sweet, brown, oval fruit that grows on a palm tree.

    the edible, oblong fruit of the date palm, typically consumed dried.

    Example

    These dates are very sweet and taste great with walnuts.

    Example

    The recipe calls for chopped dates to provide a natural sweetness and a chewy texture to the cake.

  3. 5 to be in a relationship (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to have a romantic relationship with someone.

    to be romantically involved with someone; can be used transitively or intransitively.

    Example

    They have been dating for six months and are very happy.

    Example

    Although they have been dating exclusively for a year, they have no immediate plans to move in together.
  4. 6 to determine age (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    to find out how old something is.

    to assign a date to or determine the age of an object or event.

    Example

    Scientists used special tests to date the ancient bones.

    Example

    Archaeologists were able to date the pottery shards to the early Bronze Age using radiocarbon techniques.
  5. 7 to become old-fashioned (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to start looking old or out of style.

    to show the signs of age or to become old-fashioned in appearance or style.

    Example

    That style of kitchen cabinet will date very quickly.

    Example

    The film's heavy reliance on early digital effects has caused it to date significantly compared to its contemporaries.
Etymology 1

From Middle English date, from Old French date, datil, datille, from Latin dactylus (likely via Old Provençal datil), from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger”) (from the resemblance of the date to a human finger), probably a folk-etymological alteration of a word from a Semitic source such as Arabic دَقَل (daqal, “variety of date palm”) or Hebrew דֶּקֶל (deqel, “date palm”). Doublet of dactyl and dactylus.

Etymology 2

From Middle English date, from Old French date, from Late Latin data, from Latin datus (“given”), past participle of dare (“to give”); from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- (“to give”). Doublet of data.

Idioms4 entries

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