Main Entry: light–year

Pronunciation: \ˈlīt-ˌyir\

Function: noun

Date: 1888

1 : a unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers)
2 : an extremely large measure of comparison (as of distance, time, or quality) <seems like light–years ago> <has light–years more talent> <two minutes and yet light–years away from the crowded village — Suzanne Patterson>