D-Day
(ˈdiːdeɪ)
Also D Day, D-day.
[D for day.]
The military code-name for a particular day fixed for the beginning of an operation; spec. the day (6 June 1944) of the invasion of the Atlantic coast of German-occupied France by Allied forces. Also transf., of non-military undertakings; later also used for decimalization day (e.g. in Britain 15 Feb. 1971, on which day decimal currency came into official use).
| 1918 Field Order No. 8, First Army, A.E.F. 7 Sept., The First Army will attack at H-Hour on D-Day with the object of forcing the evacuation of St. Mihiel salient. 1928 J. M. Saunders Wings 210 The word went out that ‘D’ day was to be Sept. 12. 1942 Newsweek 23 Nov. 27 A major Russian offensive long in preparation abiding the eventful D-day. 1944 Times 10 June 4/1 The Canadians landed on D Day at Bernières-sur-Mer. 1944 Hutchinson's Pict. Hist. War 12 Apr.–26 Sept. 342 By the end of D-Day plus two they had cleared their respective areas of dead and wounded. 1945 W. S. Churchill Victory (1946) 102 The total [of Germans] captured by the Allies since D-Day was 2,055,575. 1947 Economist 27 Dec. 1047 (heading) D-Day for the [Marshall] Plan. 1948 G. Mikes How to scrape Skies 21 You know that the pipes will burst one day but how exciting it is to spend first of all three pleasant days wrapping them up and then retiring to wait for D-day. 1950 [see air-drop s.v. air n.1 B. III. 2]. |
| 1963 Rep. Comm. Inquiry Decimal Curr. p. xiv, ‘D-day’. Short for ‘Decimalisation Day’. Ibid. xiii. 132 We hope..that as many organisations as possible will change on ‘D-day’ [in South Africa]. 1970 New Scientist 5 Feb. 245/2 The Anti-Decimal Group will doubtless be busy between now and D-day. 1971 Oxford Mail 15 Feb. 1/2 D-day dawned with a minimum of fuss, and shoppers were taking the new coinage in their stride. |