from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Anniversary \An`ni*ver"sa*ry\, n.; pl. {Anniversaries}. [Cf. F.
anniversaire.]
1. The annual return of the day on which any notable event
took place, or is wont to be celebrated; as, the
anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
[1913 Webster]
2. (R. C. Ch.) The day on which Mass is said yearly for the
soul of a deceased person; the commemoration of some
sacred event, as the dedication of a church or the
consecration of a pope.
[1913 Webster]
3. The celebration which takes place on an anniversary day.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]