Bissextile

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Bissextile \Bis*sex"tile\, n. [L. bissextilis annus, fr.
     bissextus (bis + sextus sixth, fr. sex six) the sixth of the
     calends of March, or twenty-fourth day of February, which was
     reckoned twice every fourth year, by the intercalation of a
     day.]
     Leap year; every fourth year, in which a day is added to the


     month of February on account of the excess of the tropical
     year (365 d. 5 h. 48 m. 46 s.) above 365 days. But one day
     added every four years is equivalent to six hours each year,
     which is 11 m. 14 s. more than the excess of the real year.
     Hence, it is necessary to suppress the bissextile day at the
     end of every century which is not divisible by 400, while it
     is retained at the end of those which are divisible by 400.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Bissextile \Bis*sex"tile\, a.
     Pertaining to leap year.
     [1913 Webster]