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¹date

noun \ˈdāt\

Definition of DATE

: the oblong edible fruit of a palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

: the tall palm with pinnate leaves that yields the date

Origin of DATE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin dactylus — more at dactyl

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Rhymes with DATE

ait, bait, bate, blate, cate, crate, eight, fate, fete, freight, gait, gate, grate, great, haet, hate, late, mate, pate, plait, plate, prate, quoit, rate, sate, skate, slate, spate, state, straight, strait, teth, trait, wait, weight

²date

noun

Definition of DATE

a : the time at which an event occurs <the date of his birth>

b : a statement of the time of execution or making <the date on the letter>

: duration

: the period of time to which something belongs

a : an appointment to meet at a specified time; especially : a social engagement between two persons that often has a romantic character

b : a person with whom one has a usually romantic date

: an engagement for a professional performance (as of a dance band)

— to date

: up to the present moment

Origin of DATE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin data, from data (as in data Romae given at Rome), feminine of Latin datus, past participle of dare to give; akin to Latin dos gift, dowry, Greek didonai to give

First Known Use: 14th century

³date

verb

: to do an activity with someone you have might have a romantic relationship with : to go on a date or several dates with (someone)

: to write the date on (something)

: to show or find out when (something) was made or produced

dat·eddat·ing

Full Definition of DATE

transitive verb

: to determine the date of <date an antique>

: to record the date of : mark with the date

a : to mark with characteristics typical of a particular period

b : to show up plainly the age of

: to make or have a date with

intransitive verb

: to reckon chronologically

: originate <a friendship dating from college days>

: to become dated

: to go out on usually romantic dates

— dat·able also date·able \ˈdā-tə-bəl\ adjective

— dat·er \ˈdā-tər\ noun

See date defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of DATE

15th century

Related to DATE

Synonyms: go out (with), take out

DATE Defined for Kids

¹date

noun \ˈdāt\

Definition of DATE for Kids

: the sweet brownish fruit of an Old World palm (date palm)

Word History of DATE

The English word for the fruit of the date palm comes by way of French and Latin from a Greek word daktylos. The original meaning of this Greek word was “finger,” but it was also used for the fruit. A cluster of dates on a palm tree must have looked to someone like the fingers on a hand.