term dayn.
/ˈtəːm deɪ/, U.S. /ˈtərm ˌdeɪ/ 1. A day set as a term (term n. 1a); a day appointed for doing something, esp. for payment of money due; (also) a day by which something must be done; an end day. Also figurative. Obsolete except as in senses 2, 3. †but terme day: without end, for ever (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > particular time > [noun] > an appointed or fixed time, day, or date
tidea900
stemOE
stevena1225
term?c1225
dayc1300
term dayc1300
stagea1325
hourc1380
setnessa1400
tryst1488
journeyc1500
big day1827
trysting day1842
c1300 Holy Cross (Laud) l. 549 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 17 (MED) Hit bifeol at is terme-day þat he wende to an oþur inne.
c1390 in C. Horstmann Minor Poems Vernon MS (1892) i. 160 (MED) Whi hast þou broken þi terme-day Of þe payȝement of Mi Monay?
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 14040 Quen it com to þe term dai, þai had noght quar-of for to pai.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 178 Whan hit drew nyghe the terme-day that sir Gawayne, sir Marhaute and sir Uwayne made to mete.
c1480 (a1400) St. George 842 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 200 To duel with hyme but terme day.
1531–2 in J. Imrie et al. Burgh Court Bk. Selkirk (1960) 116 Geif ony geir be spulyeit of the tenement fra this day furth it sal be terme day to Jok Achesone and his ayris one the morn.
1619 W. Cowper Pathmos 265 When their Terme-Day commeth, and conscience wakens against them to pursue them for their sinnes,..then seeke they Death as a remedy of their sorrowes.
1673 W. Colvill Righteous Branch vii. 394 It will be with thee as with a careless debtor, who takes no course with his debts in time; at the term-day he is confounded with fear.
1703 W. Forbes Methodical Treat. Bills of Exchange vii. 105 By the custom of Florence, if Term-day fall to be a Saturday, the Bill is not to be paid till that day senight.
1784 A. Macmillan Forms Writings used in Scotl. iv. 99 Matters of the nature of this last mentioned are often submitted verbally, and settled on or about the term day by verbal submission, and bill granted, and delivery got, at the same time.
2. Scottish. Each of the quarterly terms (term n. 1b) on which tenancies begin and end and payment of rent, wages, etc., fall due, esp. Whitsunday and Martinmas.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > payment > [noun] > periodic payment > time of
term1393
Whitsunday1450
quarter1644
term day1681
term time1770
1681 J. Dalrymple Inst. Law Scotl. ii. xxx. 182 If they live only till Whitsunday,..their Executors have the Half of the Rent,..if they live till the Term-day, though they die that Day, their Executors have that Term wherein they died.
1740 Edinb. Almanack at November Martinmas market at Dunkeld, first Tuesday after the Term Day.
1782 W. Ross Disc. Removing of Tenants 105 Mr L—— gave Brown a charge of horning upon the term-day, and refused a large partial payment of the rent.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian vii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. I. 191 On the very term-day when their ejection should have taken place.
1893 Westm. Gaz. 5 Apr. 6/3 The understanding..was that the bank which has now stopped might hold out till the 15th of May, which is the Scotch ‘term’ day.
1906 Scot. Rev. 1 Feb. 123/1 Candlemas Day is known to business men in Scotland as one of the quarterly term days.
1969 Sc. Law Agents Soc. Memorandum Bk. 123 Where any of the above removal days falls on a Sunday, the Monday following is considered the Term Day.
2013 Scotl. on Sunday (Nexis) 15 May 15 May is Whitsunday term day, the second term of the Scottish year after Candlemas.
3. Each of a series of days upon which simultaneous scientific measurements or observations of a given phenomenon (esp. the earth's magnetic field) are taken at different locations around the world. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > period > a day or twenty-four hours > [adjective] > of days appointed for scientific observations
term day1840
1840 Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1838–40 1 242 On the occasion of the May magnetic term day for observations at short intervals, a brilliant aurora had occurred, during which the magnetic instruments were very much disturbed.
1885 Rep. Internat. Polar Exped. vi. 453 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (48th Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. No. 44) Term-days are the 1st and 15th of each month (excepting January 1, when January 2 will be taken).
1903 J. W. A. Marchant Rep. Dept. Lands & Surv., N.Z. 1902–3 156 The special term days, records in which a uniform course of procedure was agreed upon by the International Conference.
1982 New Scientist 7 Oct. 53/1 The expedition was also to participate in a series of world-wide simultaneous magnetic observations on specific days each month, known as ‘term days’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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