leap second

English

Etymology

First use appears c. 1971.[1] Derived from the terminology for leap day and leap year.

Noun

leap second (plural leap seconds)

  1. A second of time added to the year occasionally to compensate for variation in the rate of Earth's rotation relative to the absolute standards of time.
    Synonym: intercalary second

Translations

References

  1. ^ “leap second”, in Merriam-Webster Online, Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1996–present. "First Known Use of leap second 1971, in the meaning defined above"

Further reading

Anagrams

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