big year

1. A particularly fortuitous, beneficial, or productive year. It's been a big year for our company: we've grown from a minor start-up to a real contender in the market. You got married and bought a house, so it sure has been a big year for you! Happy New Year, honey! This is going to be a big year for us—I can feel it.

2. A birding competition or undertaking in which one attempts to identify as many unique species of birds as possible within a calendar year, often within a specific geographical area. We might not win any cash or prizes, but the local big year offers a unique chance to improve my birding techniques. What's a big year? I'm new to birding, so I've never heard that term before. I have several friends who are into birding too, and we're all participating in our area's big year. I wonder how many different types of birds we'll see.