Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

date

1. date \'da-t\ n [ME, fr. OF, deriv. of L dactylus, fr. Gk daktylos, lit., 
   finger] 1: the oblong edible fruit of a palm (Phoenix dactylifera)  2: the 
   tall palm with pinnate leaves that yields the date 
2. date n [ME, fr. MF, fr. LL data, fr. data (as in data Romae given at] 
   Rome), fem. of L datus, pp. of dare to give; akin to Gk didonai to give 1a: 
   the time at which an event occurs  1b: a statement of the time of execution 
   or making  2: DURATION  3: the period of time to which something belongs  
   4a: an appointment for a specified time; esp : a social engagement  between 
   two persons of opposite sex 4b: a person of the opposite sex with whom one 
   has a social engagement  : up to the present moment  - to date 
3. date \'da-t-*r\ vt 1: to determine the date of  2: to record the date of 
    3a: to mark with characteristics typical of a particular period  3b: to 
   show up plainly the age of  4: to make or have a date with  1: to reckon 
   chronologically  2: to become dated and written  3a: ORIGINATE  3b: EXTEND  
   4: to show qualities typical of a past period  - dat.er n