December 31
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- noun
- /dɪˈsɛmbər θɜrti ˈfʌrst/
:
31 de diciembre
- On December 31, fireworks light up the sky to welcome the new year.
- December 31 of each year
- January 1 to December 31
- December 31, 2009
Examples
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What happens now to the Colony with its deadline of December 31, 2013, for redevelopment?
Blog text (21) -
Unit 1 began commercial operation on Dec. 31, 2002, 43 days ahead of schedule.
Blog text (22) -
When we got married on December 31, 2010, we finally had time to ourselves.
Blog text (18) -
The telework policies were in force from July 1 through December 31, 2003.
Academic text (2005) -
We'll pick a day, likely Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, for the new appraisal.
Academic text (2009) -
On December 31, 1951, CBS aired an episode of I Love Lucy called "The Adagio."
Academic text (2008) -
Each year on December 31, we celebrate New Year's Eve with a big party.
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Many people make resolutions for the new year on December 31.
Synonyms
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The last evening of the year when people celebrate before midnight
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the last day of the calendar year / New Year's Eve' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'December' (the final month) with the number 'thirty-one' indicating the day. This month+day compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard date notation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.
Etymology
December 31 comes from the calendar: December is the twelfth month and 31 is its last day, so December 31 is the year's 'last day' and is called 'New Year's Eve', a time for parties and a common deadline for tasks.