yesterday Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the day immediately before today
    • it was in yesterday's newspapers
  2. noun the recent past
    • yesterday's solutions are not good enough
    • we shared many yesterdays
  3. adverb on the day preceding today
    • yesterday the weather was beautiful
  4. adverb in the recent past; only a short time ago
    • I was not born yesterday!

WordNet

Yes"ter*day noun
Etymology
OE. ýisterdai, AS. geostran dæg, from geostran, geostra, giestran, gistran, gystran, yesterday (akin to D. gisteren, G. gestern, OHG. gestaron, Icel. gær yesterday, to-morrow, Goth. gistradagis to-morrow, L. heri yesterday, Gr. , Skr. hyas) + dæg day. Cf. Hestern. .
Definitions
  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.
Yes"ter*day adverb
Definitions
  1. On the day last past; on the day preceding to-day; as, the affair took place yesterday.

Webster 1913