semester Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun one of two divisions of an academic year
  2. noun half a year; a period of 6 months

WordNet

Se*mes"ter noun
Etymology
G., from L. semestris half-yearly; sex six + mensis a month.
Definitions
  1. A period of six months; especially, a term in a college or uneversity which divides the year into two terms.

Webster 1913