a particular month, day, and year at which some event happened or will happen: July 4, 1776 was the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
the day of the month: Is today's date the 7th or the 8th?
an inscription on a writing, coin, etc., that shows the time, or time and place, of writing, casting, delivery, etc.: a letter bearing the date January 16.
the time or period to which any event or thing belongs; period in general: at a late date.
the time during which anything lasts; duration: The pity is that childhood has so short a date.
an appointment for a particular time: They have a date with their accountant at ten o'clock.
a social appointment or engagement arranged beforehand with another person, especially when a romantic relationship exists or may develop: to go out on a Saturday night date.
a person with whom one has such a social appointment or engagement: Can I bring a date to the party?
an engagement for an entertainer to perform.
dates,the birth and death dates, usually in years, of a person: Dante's dates are 1265 to 1321.
verb (used without object),dat·ed,dat·ing.
to have or bear a date: The letter dates from 1873.
to belong to a particular period; have its origin: That dress dates from the 19th century. The architecture dates as far back as 1830.
to reckon from some point in time: The custom dates from the days when women wore longer skirts.
to go out socially on dates: She dated a lot during high school.
verb (used with object),dat·ed,dat·ing.
to mark or furnish with a date: Please date the check as of today.
to ascertain or fix the period or point in time of; assign a period or point in time to: The archaeologist dated the ruins as belonging to the early Minoan period.
to show the age of; show to be old-fashioned.
to make a date with; go out on dates with: He's been dating his best friend's sister.
Idioms for date
to date, up to the present time; until now: This is his best book to date.
up to date, in agreement with or inclusive of the latest information; modern: Bring us up to date on the news.
Origin of date
1
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English <Middle French <Late Latin data, noun use of data (feminine of datus, past participle of dare to give), from the phrase data (Romae) written, given (at Rome); (v.) Middle English daten to sign or date a document, derivative of the noun
the oblong, fleshy fruit of the date palm, a staple food in northern Africa, Arabia, etc., and an important export.
Origin of date
2
1250–1300; Middle English <Anglo-French; Old French dade, date<Medieval Latin datil(l)us (>Old Provençal, Catalan, Spanish datil) <Latin dactylus;see dactyl