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date

The word "date" is a homonym, meaning it has several unrelated meanings (a calendar day, a fruit, and a romantic meeting) that come from different origins. When using "date" as a verb for romance, it is common to use the phrase "dating someone" to describe an ongoing relationship rather than a single event. Be careful with the verb "to date" when referring to age; it is usually used for objects (like fossils or paintings) rather than people.

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon, Sarah is hiding in the breakroom to avoid David.

Jessica

Did you set a date for the final hand-off? I'm losing it here.

Sarah

Still playing for time. David is breathing down my neck about the logos.

💡

Jessica's anxiety manifests in her need for a firm deadline ('set a date'), while Sarah uses the idiom 'playing for time' to describe her intentional delay of a task and 'breathing down my neck' to describe David's overbearing supervision.

Meanings

noun

The particular day of the month or year as specified by a number.

"What is today's date?"

noun

A romantic appointment or engagement between two people.

"They went on their first date to a cinema."

noun

The sweet, edible fruit of the date palm.

"She ate a handful of dried dates for breakfast."

verb (transitive)

To assign a particular date to something; to determine the age of something.

"Archaeologists used carbon testing to date the ancient pottery."

verb (intransitive)

To become old-fashioned or outmoded.

"Those neon colors really date the movie."

verb (transitive)

To go out with someone romantically.

"He has been dating her for six months."

Last Updated: May 22, 2026•Report an Error