Dictionary.com Word Of The Day
Feb. 29, 2016
bissextus\bahy-SEKS-tuh s, bi-\noun
1. February 29th: the extra day added to the Julian calendar every
fourth year (except those evenly divisible by 400) to compensate for
the approximately six hours a year by which the common year of 365 days
falls short of the solar year.
QuotesThis odd day was inserted after the sixth day before the kalends
of March, i.e., after the 24th of February, and was not counted as an
addition to the year, but as a sort of appendix. Hence the sixth of the
kalends of March was called bissextus, or double sixth, which root is
still retained in our word bissextile, though the day is now added at
the endof February.
-- E. S. Burns, "History of Chronology," The Popular Science Monthly,
April, 1881OriginBissextus comes from the Latin term bissextus diÄs
meaning "intercalary day." It was so called because the 6th day before
the Calends of March (February 24th) appeared twice every leap
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