Word definition: summer

Etimology


From Middle English somer, sumer, from Old English sumor (“summer”), from Proto-West Germanic *sumar, from Proto-Germanic *sumaraz (“summer”), from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-h₂-ó-, oblique of *semh₂- (“summer, year”). Cognate with Scots somer, sumer, simer (“summer”), West Frisian simmer (“summer”), Saterland Frisian Suumer (“summer”), Dutch zomer (“summer”), Low German Sommer (“summer”), German Sommer (“summer”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål sommer (“summer”), Swedish sommar (“summer”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Icelandic sumar (“summer”), Welsh haf (“summer”), Armenian ամ (am, “year”), ամառ (amaṙ, “summer”), Sanskrit समा (sámā, “a half-year, season, weather, year”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬨 (ham-, “summer”), Middle Persian ḥʾmyn (hāmīn, “summer”), Northern Kurdish havîn (“summer”), Central Kurdish ھاوین (hawîn, “summer”).

noun


summer (countable and uncountable, plural summers)

One of four seasons, traditionally the second, marked by the longest and typically hottest days of the year due to the inclination of the Earth and thermal lag. Typically regarded as being from June 21 to September 22 or 23 in parts of the USA, the months of June, July and August in the United Kingdom and the months of December, January and February in the Southern Hemisphere.

(poetic or humorous) year; used to give the age of a person, usually a young one.

(figuratively) Most flourishing, happy, or beautiful period; golden age, prime.

(countable, fashion) Someone with light, pinkish skin that has a blue undertone, light hair and eyes, seen as best suited to certain colors of clothing.

Examples


the heat of summer

At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.

A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.

A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. ¶ ‘Civilized,’ he said to Mr. Campion. ‘Humanizing.’ […] ‘Cigars and summer days and women in big hats with swansdown face-powder, that's what it reminds me of.’

He was barely eighteen summers old.

She had seen not more than twenty summers.

O! craving heart, for the lost flowersAnd sunshine of my summer hours!

Related words


antonyms

winter

coordinate terms

spring, autumn, fall

verb


summer (third-person singular simple present summers, present participle summering, simple past and past participle summered)

(intransitive) To spend the summer, as in a particular place on holiday.

Examples


We like to summer in the Mediterranean.

Etimology


From Middle English somer, from Anglo-Norman summer, sumer, from Vulgar Latin saumārius, for Late Latin sagmārius, from Latin sagma (“sum”). Compare sumpter.

noun


summer (plural summers)

(architecture) A horizontal beam supporting a building.

(obsolete) A pack-horse.

Examples


Synonyms: summerbeam, summertree

And we are warned, that the foundation or maine summers of our houses faile and shrinke, when we see the quarters bend, or wals to breake.

Etimology


sum +‎ -er

noun


summer (plural summers)

A person who sums.

A machine or algorithm that sums.

Examples


Synonym: totaller

A basic feedback system consists of ... and a summing point .

The output of the summer is therefore fed into the input of the first integrator.

Data provided by Wiktionary