Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- an annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon, tides, etc., and other statistical information and related topics.
- a publication containing astronomical or meteorological information, usually including future positions of celestial objects, star magnitudes, and culmination dates of constellations.
- an annual reference book of useful and interesting facts relating to countries of the world, sports, entertainment, etc.
noun
- a yearly calendar giving statistical information on events and phenomena, such as the phases of the moon, times of sunrise and sunset, tides, anniversaries, etcAlso (archaic): almanack
late 14c., attested in Anglo-Latin from mid-13c., via Old French almanach or Medieval Latin almanachus, of uncertain origin. It is sometimes said to be from a Spanish-Arabic al-manakh “calendar, almanac,” but possibly ultimately from Late Greek almenichiakon “calendar,” which is said to be of Coptic origin.
This word has been the subject of much speculation. Originally a book of permanent tables of astronomical data; one-year versions, combined with ecclesiastical calendars, date from 16c.; “astrological and weather predictions appear in 16-17th c.; the ‘useful statistics’ are a modern feature” [OED].