Yesterday \Yes"ter*day\, n. [OE. [yogh]isterdai, AS. geostran
d[ae]g, from geostran, geostra, giestran, gistran, gystran,
yesterday (akin to D. gisteren, G. gestern, OHG. gestaron,
Icel. g[ae]r yesterday, to-morrow, Goth. gistradagis
to-morrow, L. heri yesterday, Gr. ?, Skr. hyas) + d[ae]g day.
Cf. Hestern. ????.]
1. The day last past; the day next before the present.
All our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to
dusty death. --Shak.
We are but of yesterday, and know nothing. --Job
viii. 9.
2. Fig.: A recent time; time not long past.
The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when
compared with the line of supreme pontiffs.
--Macaulay.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
|