fast day
1
5.9
- noun
:
día de ayuno
- With much to repent of, annual fast days gave Jamaicans an opportunity to atone for their apparent neglect of divine worship in comparison to Barbados and South Carolina.
Examples
-
The community gathered for a fast day service, where members abstained from food together.
-
Though the clergy of the established church were quick to lead fast day liturgies, dissenting ministers like William Hutson also embraced days of "public Humiliation and Supplication."
Academic text (2007) -
Today is my fast day.
Fiction book (1990) -
Tomorrow we will have a fast day but for our sins.
-
On the fast day, I had introduced myself extensively to him, and we even had a friendly chat during break.
Academic text (1998) -
To these, colonists added a variety of new fast days based on colonial events.
Academic text (2007) -
Every Friday in the year, the Rogation days, Ember days, and the forty days of Lent were appointed fast days.
Academic text (2007) -
Calendars forced the Indians to respect the relevant feast and fast days, thereby providing daily visible symbols of their religious adherence.
Academic text (2002) -
On Yom Kippur, many people observe a fast day to reflect and repent.
-
During Lent, Christians often designate a fast day to focus on prayer and reflection.
Synonyms
3
4.0
A time when a person does not eat or drink
Antonyms
6
3.7
A day for special celebration and big meals, often for religious or cultural reasons
How Long
3
4.0
1
5.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'fast' (to refrain from eating) combined with 'day' (a calendar day) yields a day for fasting, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. This construction is common and cross-linguistically transparent, with no idiomatic shift or metaphorical extension.
Etymology
Fast day comes from the simple practice of setting aside a day when people fast and 'do not eat' to show prayer or devotion. That's why today fast day means 'a day for not eating for religious or spiritual reasons'.