1.date用作动词意思是“注(明)日期”。引申可作“鉴定…的年代”“约会”解。
2.date可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词。用作及物动词时可接名词或代词作宾语,作“断〔鉴〕定年代”解时,常以古物、古器等名词作宾语,有时可接以as短语充当补足语的复合宾语。用作不及物动词作“约会”解时,少指一般朋友之间的约会,而多指情侣之间的约会,也可用以指异性中的一方对此种交往的同意,含有“就这样约定了”,属非正式用法,多用于美国。
3.date用作不及物动词,还有“过时,不流行”的意思。
4.date的过去分词dated可用作形容词,在句中作定语或表语。

date back to  (v.+adv.+prep.)
追溯到…; 从…开始 have existed since (the date of building or origin)
〔说明〕 date back to尽管总是与表示过去的时间状语连用,却总是用于一般现在时,且不用于被动结构。
▲date back to sth
The castle dates back to the 14th century.该城堡建于14世纪。
His family dates back to １７６４.他的家族起自１７６４年。
In China acupuncture dates back to ancient times.在中国针刺疗法从古代就有了。
This manuscript dates back to the 18th century.这份手稿写于18世纪。
Our partnership dates back to 1960.我们从1960年就合伙了。
The legend dates back to the 12th century.这个传说可追溯到12世纪。
The history of the town dates back to the Middle Ages.这个城镇的历史可回溯到中世纪。

date from  (v.+prep.)
始于 have existed since (the date of building or origin)
〔说明〕 date from尽管总是与表示过去的时间状语连用,却总是用于一般现在时,且不用于被动结构。
▲date from sth
The Great Wall dates from the third century B.C.万里长城建成于公元前三世纪。
This church dates from the 6th century.这座教堂早在6世纪就建成了。
The prosperity of the country dates from the war.这个国家的发迹始于大战时期。
Their friendship dates from college days.他们的友谊从大学时代就开始了。
The custom dates from the time when men wore swords.这项习俗始于人类佩带刀剑的时代。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
She doesn't date often.她不常有约会。
They have been dating for months.他们两个人彼此约会已经有好几个月了。
Most fashions soon date.大多时尚的东西很快就过时了。
His songs are so good that they have hardly dated at all.他的歌曲非常优美,几乎一点都不显得过时。
His novels seem scarcely to date at all.他的小说似乎丝毫没有过时。
The book has already begun to date.这本书已开始过时了。
This type of music is beginning to date.这种音乐开始陈旧了。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
He dated the arrival of each new bird.每只新来的鸟到达的日期他都记下了。
I can't date the pot exactly, but it must be very old.我不能精确断定这只罐的年代,不过时间一定很久远了。
I can't date the house exactly.这幢房子的年代我无法断定。
I date this little disturbance from his birth.我看这一小病从他出生那天就有了。
She could date her admission to the choir by Father Peter's last visit.她可以从彼得神父最后一次来访算出自己是哪一天参加唱诗班的。
That suit dates him.他穿那身衣服显老。
Tom dated Alice yesterday.汤姆与爱丽斯昨天约会了。
She began dating boys when she was sixteen.她16岁时就开始同男孩子约会了。
She's been dating him for months, but it's not serious yet.她跟他约会已经几个月了,但还未认真起来。
He dated her on Wednesday nights.他常在星期三晚上同她约会。
They've been dating each other for months.他们彼此约会已好几个月了。
He's dating a black beauty.他正在和一个漂亮的黑人姑娘谈恋爱。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The letter is dated October １st.这封信的日期是１０月１日。
用作宾补动词
▲S+～+n./pron.+as n.
The unusual shape of the pot dates it as about A.D. 400.这个壶的特殊形状使人们可以确定它的年代大约为公元400年。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The statue has been dated as 5th century B.C.这个雕像的年代为公元前5世纪。
其他
▲v-ed as Attrib.
She used rather dated words and phrases.她使用的词语未免太陈旧了。
We acknowledge the reception of your letter dated May 15. 5月15日函已收悉。
▲v-ed as s-Compl.
His clothes look so dated.他的衣服早就过时了。

date back to, date from
这两个短语都可译作“始于”。前者着眼于开始的时间,即“起自”; 后者强调从开始延续到现在。

［同义词］ n. engagement
［词源］ ＜古法语、拉丁语dare(给)

1.date的基本意思是“(注明的)日期,日子,年份”,是可数名词,不一定只指某一天,可以统指年、月、日,但不用于“星期”或单独用于“月份”。date指的日期往往是特指的,其前常加the。
2.date也可作“时代,年代”解,若指历史上某一时期,是不可数名词。
3.date还可作“约定”解,指会面的时间和地点的确定,引申可表示异性间“社交约会,幽会”,是可数名词。
4.在美国口语中, date可指“约会对象或舞伴”,是可数名词。

at an early date
不久,在最近期间 before long; in recent period
We would like to hold the meeting at an early date.我们希望早日举行这次会议。

blind date
男女间的初次会面 prearranged meeting between strangers (usually a man and a woman)
My wife and I first met on a blind date arranged by her sister.我和我妻子初次会面是由她姐姐安排的。

make a date with
与…约会 arrange to meet sb
I've made a date with Harold for next Sunday.Will you be able to come to the meeting?我与哈罗德约好下周日见面,你能来见见面吗?

out of date
过时的,陈旧的 behind the time; out of fashion
The notice is out of date. Let's take it down.那条布告已经过时,咱们把它取下来吧。
Much of the information in that book is now out of date.那本书的材料中有许多现在已经过时。
A lot of new words go out of date very quickly.有许多新词很快就过时了。
Don't take medicine out of date.不要服过期的药。

to date
至今,直到今天,到目前为止 until today; now; up to the present time
To date he has done half the work.至今他已完成这项工作的一半。
Jim does some pieces of work on Sunday, but his earnings to date are small.吉姆在星期天干几份工作,但至今他的收入仍很低。

up to date
〔说明〕 up to date作定语时,该短语可用up-to-date形式。
1.最新式的,现代化的 modern; in fashion
The car is a beauty and quite up to date.那辆车子很漂亮,是最新式的。
Some of the older members of the profession are not up to date in their knowledge and methods.从事这个职业的年纪较大的人中有一些人的知识和工作方法已赶不上目前的情况。
They are very up to date in their method of language teaching.他们的语言教学法是非常新颖的。
This is a very up-to-date radio.这是一个很新式的收音机。
2.至今,到目前为止 until today; up to the present time
The editor has collected the material up to date as of May,1995.编辑已把资料收集到1995年5月那时止。
I have not received news from him up to date.直到如今我还没有接到他的消息。

The date on the coin is 1956.这硬币上的日期为1956年。
I don't remember the date of that important battle.我记不清那个重要战役的日期了。
That meeting will be held at a not too distant date.这个会不久即将召开。
The date of birth comes after the name in the list.在名册上,出生日期写在姓名之后。
At that date there were no aeroplanes.那时还没有飞机。
They made a date to meet soon.他们相约于不久会面。
Tom apologized for missing his date with John the day before.汤姆感到很抱歉,因为他前天失约没有和约翰见面。
My mother tries to stop me going out on dates.我母亲试图阻止我外出赴约。
Of course you can bring your date to my party.当然你可以带你约的异性朋友来参加我的社交聚会。
He asked her to be his date for the school dance.他请她在学校的舞会上做他的舞伴。

date, day
这两个词都有“日,天”的意思。其区别在于:
1.date指某种事发生的“日期”,不一定只指某一天,可以统指年、月、日,一般用单数; day指一周中的“某一天,一整天”等,意为“白天,日子”,又专指星期几。例如:
Has the date for the meeting fixed?开会的日期决定了没有?
The first day of a week is Sunday.一个星期的第一天是星期天。
2.在询问“某天是什么日子”时,两词都可用,但意义不同, date问的是“日期”,而day问的是“星期几”。例如:
What day is it today?
今天是星期几?
What is the date today?
今天是几号?

表示某人的生卒年份须用复数形式dates。例如:
His dates are1633——1704.他生于1633年,死于1704年。