◙ noun 1. one of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a week, month, or year is divided, and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis • 一天 the part of this period when it is light • 白昼 the time between sunrise and sunset • 白天，日间 »the animals hunt by day. 这些动物日间猎食。 the time spent working during such a period • 工作日 »he works an eight-hour day. 他一天工作八小时。 [Astronomy] a single rotation of a planet in relation to its primary • [天文] 自转周期；日，恒星日 [Astronomy] the period on a planet when its primary star is above the horizon • [天文] （天体）白昼 [mass noun] (archaic)daylight • [古] 日光 »by the time they had all gone it was broad day. 到他们都走开的时候天已大亮。 2. [一般作 days] a particular period of the past; an era • 时期；时代 »the laws were very strict in those days. 在那个时代法律是很严厉的。 (the day)the present time • 现在，目前 »the political issues of the day. 目前的政治问题。 [usu. with modifier] (days)a particular period in a person's life or career • （人生）时期，时代，生涯 »my student days. 我的学生时代。 (one's day)the successful, fortunate, or influential period of a person's life or career • （人生或事业的）风光时期，鼎盛时期，如意时期 »he had been a matinée idol in his day. 他曾是风光一时的日场演出偶像。 (one's days)the remaining period of someone's life • 余生 »she cared for him for the rest of his days. 她照料他的余生。 ◙ adjective 1. [attrib.] carried out during the day as opposed to the evening or at night • 白昼的，日间的 »my day job. 我日间的工作。 (of a person) working during the day as opposed to at night • （人）日间工作的，白天工作的，上白班的 »a day nurse. 日间护士。
【IDIOMS】
◘ all in a (或 the) day's work 1. (of something unusual or difficult) accepted as part of someone's normal routine or as a matter of course • （特别或困难的事）日常的，家常便饭的 »dodging sharks is all in a day's work for some scientists. 对一些科学家来说躲避存心诈骗者是家常便饭。 ◘ any day 1. [informal] at any time • [非正式] 任何时候，随便哪一天 »they could outfight the police any day. 他们随时都可以打败警方。 (used to express one's strong preference for something) under any circumstances • ［用于表达某人对某事物强烈的偏好］无论何时，在任何情况下 »I'd rather have Ruth than you, any day. 什么时候我都宁愿要露丝不要你。 very soon • 很快 »she's expected to give birth any day now. 她很快就要生产了。 ◘ at the end of the day --› seeend ◘ by the day 1. gradually and steadily • 逐渐平稳地 »the campaign is growing by the day. 运动日益蓬勃。 ◘ call it a day 1. decide or agree to stop doing something • 到此为止 ◘ day after day 1. on each successive day, especially over a long period • 日复一日 »the rain poured down day after day. 一天又一天大雨倾盆。 ◘ day and night 1. all the time • 日日夜夜，夜以继日 »the district is patrolled day and night. 该地区有人日夜巡逻。 ◘ day by day 1. on each successive day; gradually and steadily • 一天天地 »day by day I grew worse. 一天天地我的情况越来越糟。 ◘ day in, day out 1. continuously or repeatedly over a long period of time • 一天又一天 ◘ day of reckoning 1. the time when past mistakes or misdeeds must be punished or paid for; a testing time when the degree of one's success or failure will be revealed • 清算的日子，报应到来的时刻，最后审判日 ◘ don't give up the day job 1. [informal] used as a humorous way of recommending someone not to pursue something at which they are unlikely to be successful • [非正式，幽默] 做好眼下的工作（让某人不要追求不可能成功的事情） ◘ from day one 1. from the very beginning • 从一开始 »children need a firm hand from day one. 孩子们从一开始就该严格管教。 ◘ have had one's (或 its) day 1. be no longer popular, successful, or influential • 不再风光，不再流行 »power dressing has had its day. 包装成权势人物已经过时了。 ◘ if he (或 she 等) is a day 1. at least (appended to a statement about a person's age) • 至少（加在关于某人年龄的话语之后） »he must be seventy if he's a day. 他肯定至少有70岁了。 ◘ in this day and age 1. at the present time • 现在 ◘ not someone's day 1. used to convey that someone has experienced a day of successive misfortunes • 背运日 ◘ —of the day 1. a thing currently considered to be particularly interesting or important • 当日热（焦）点 »the big news story of the day. 当日的热点新闻。 ◘ one day (或 some day, one of these days) 1. at some time in the future • 有一天 »our wishes will come true one of these days. 我们的愿望有一天会实现。 ◘ one of those days 1. a day when several things go wrong • 倒霉日 ◘ that will be the day 1. [informal] that is very unlikely • [非正式] 不可能 ◘ these days 1. at present • 现在，目前 »he was drinking far too much these days. 他最近喝得太多了。 ◘ those were the days 1. used to assert that a particular past time was better in comparison with the present • ［用于表示与现在相比，过去的某个时期更好］那个好时候 ◘ to the day 1. exactly • 整整 »it's four years to the day since he was killed. 自他被杀已有整整四年了。 ◘ to this day 1. at the present time as in the past;still • 至今依然，仍然 »the tradition continues to this day. 此传统流传至今。
【语源】
1. Old English daeg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dag and German Tag