Main Entry: se·mes·ter

Pronunciation: \sə-ˈmes-tər\

Function: noun

Etymology: German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

Date: 1827

1 : either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided
2 : a period of six months

— se·mes·tral \-trəl\ or se·mes·tri·al \-trē-əl\ adjective