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Definition of "intercalary" [in•ter•ca•la•ry]

  • Inserted in the calendar to make the calendar year correspond to the solar year. Used of a day or month. (adjective)
  • Having such a day or month inserted. Used of a year. (adjective)
  • Inserted between other elements or parts; interpolated. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "intercalary" in a sentence
  • "In order to remedy this, the Chinese intercalated a month once in about thirty-three moons, and called the intercalary month by the same name as the one preceding it, both with regard to the common numbers 1-12, and with regard to the two endless cycles of twelve signs and sixty signs, by which moons are calculated for ever, in the past and in the future."
  • "To make the solar year and the civil or calendar year coincide as nearly as might be, Numa ordered that a special or "intercalary" month should be inserted every second year between February 23rd and 24th."
  • "There are notes on the scroll in French which may suggest that the text relates to the Mandaean holiday of Paruanaiia, celebrated during the 5 intercalary days that allow the Mandaean calendar to have months of even length 30 days but an essentially solar calendar of 365 days."