From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishyesterdayyes‧ter‧day1 /ˈjestədi, -deɪ $ -ər-/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb TMCon or during the day before today → tomorrow What did you do yesterday?yesterday morning/afternoon/evening Anna left yesterday afternoon. → I wasn’t born yesterday at born1(5)
Examples from the Corpus
yesterday• Stretch up alternate hands - even higher than yesterday!• The grant was agreed by Sedgefield District Council development committee yesterday.• Could that have only been yesterday - and at about this time?• Princess Anne yesterday gave a tantalising glimpse of the ring - without meaning to.• But Palace yesterday played down fears that Salako aggravated the knee ligaments which required an operation last year.• Cable said yesterday the company would eventually upgrade and operate the long distance and international communications systems.• The day before yesterday was Monday.yesterday morning/afternoon/evening• Golding said in a news conference yesterday afternoon.• If Southend police could run in some young man who picked up the car on the Foulness road yesterday afternoon.• It had happened before, last night and yesterday morning.• The bagpipes were still there, they had not played a note since yesterday afternoon.• The rebels appear to have initiated a new stage in the war when they crossed the border into Dagestan yesterday morning.yesterdayyesterday2 noun [uncountable] 1 the day before today → tomorrow yesterday’s meeting They arrived the day before yesterday.2 the recent past the great champions of yesterday3 → yesterday’s newsExamples from the Corpus
yesterday• Burns' proposal was accepted at yesterday's meeting.• The events of yesterday cannot fully explain the world of today.the day before yesterday• What, from the day before yesterday?• You heard about the unpleasantness in the reception hall the day before yesterday, I suppose?• I was only made the day before yesterday.• Was it really only the day before yesterday when everything had been so pleasant and normal?• On Sunday, only the day before yesterday - it hardly seemed possible!• This afternoon I read what I wrote about G.P. the day before yesterday.• They gave everyone poisoned tea the day before yesterday.Origin yesterday1 Old English giestran dæg, from giestran “yesterday” + dæg “day” 