diary

From Latin diārium (“a daily allowance for soldiers, in Late Latin also ‘diary’”), neuter of *diārius, from diēs (“a day”) (whence also journal). Cognate with Spanish diario (“daily; diary”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ.ə.ɹi/, /ˈdaɪ.ɹi/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ.əɹi

diary (plural diaries)

1. A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer.

   They kept separate diaries. His was on paper and her diary was on her computer's hard drive.

   • 2005 January 30, Jef Biederman, “Feng Shui Is Like So Passe”, in Totally Spies!: Undercover, season 3, episode 19, Teletoon, Marathon Media, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Andrea Baker as Clover and Katie Griffin):

     No, I’m just going over the stuff Tara wrote in my diary.
     She’s writing your diary? Could you be any lazier?

2. (Britain, Canada) A personal organizer or appointment diary.
   • 2004, Victoria Kidwell, Homework, page 29:

     It is recommended that teachers and pupils are issued with homework diaries to help implement and monitor the homework timetable.

• daybook
• journal

• calendar
• daybook
• chronicle
• log

• diurnal
• journal

• → Hindi: डायरी (ḍāyrī)
• → Indonesian: diari

diary (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Lasting for one day.
   • 1605, Francis Bacon, a letter to the Lord Chancellor, touching the History of Britain:

     the offer of a usurpation, though it were but as a diary ague

diary (third-person singular simple present diaries, present participle diarying, simple past and past participle diaried)

1. (intransitive) To keep a diary or journal.
   • 2015, Hugh O'Donovan, Mindful Walking:

     As part of her mindful movement practise, diarying is important to Sarah. "It gives me a chance to see what is going on, to reflect on my experience."

• diary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• diary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
• diary at OneLook Dictionary Search

• dairy, riyad, yaird