winter bloom

Winter \Win"ter\, n. [AS. winter; akin to OFries. & D. winter,
   OS. & OHG. wintar, G. winter, D. & Sw. vinter, Icel. vetr,
   Goth. wintrus; of uncertain origin; cf. Old Gallic vindo-
   white (in comp.), OIr. find white. ????.]
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   1. The season of the year in which the sun shines most
      obliquely upon any region; the coldest season of the year.
      "Of thirty winter he was old." --Chaucer.
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            And after summer evermore succeeds
            Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold.
                                                  --Shak.
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            Winter lingering chills the lap of May. --Goldsmith.
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   Note: North of the equator, winter is popularly taken to
         include the months of December, January, and February
         (see {Season}). Astronomically, it may be considered to
         begin with the winter solstice, about December 21st,
         and to end with the vernal equinox, about March 21st.
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   2. The period of decay, old age, death, or the like.
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            Life's autumn past, I stand on winter's verge.
                                                  --Wordsworth.
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   {Winter apple}, an apple that keeps well in winter, or that
      does not ripen until winter.

   {Winter barley}, a kind of barley that is sown in autumn.

   {Winter berry} (Bot.), the name of several American shrubs
      ({Ilex verticillata}, {Ilex laevigata}, etc.) of the Holly
      family, having bright red berries conspicuous in winter.
      

   {Winter bloom}. (Bot.)
      (a) A plant of the genus Azalea.
      (b) A plant of the genus {Hamamelis} ({Hamamelis
          Viginica}); witch-hazel; -- so called from its flowers
          appearing late in autumn, while the leaves are
          falling.

   {Winter bud} (Zool.), a statoblast.

   {Winter cherry} (Bot.), a plant ({Physalis Alkekengi}) of the
      Nightshade family, which has, a red berry inclosed in the
      inflated and persistent calyx. See {Alkekengi}.

   {Winter cough} (Med.), a form of chronic bronchitis marked by
      a cough recurring each winter.

   {Winter cress} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered cruciferous plant
      ({Barbarea vulgaris}).

   {Winter crop}, a crop which will bear the winter, or which
      may be converted into fodder during the winter.

   {Winter duck}. (Zool.)
      (a) The pintail.
      (b) The old squaw.

   {Winter egg} (Zool.), an egg produced in the autumn by many
      invertebrates, and destined to survive the winter. Such
      eggs usually differ from the summer eggs in having a
      thicker shell, and often in being enveloped in a
      protective case. They sometimes develop in a manner
      different from that of the summer eggs.

   {Winter fallow}, ground that is fallowed in winter.

   {Winter fat}. (Bot.) Same as {White sage}, under {White}.

   {Winter fever} (Med.), pneumonia. [Colloq.]

   {Winter flounder}. (Zool.) See the Note under {Flounder}.

   {Winter gull} (Zool.), the common European gull; -- called
      also {winter mew}. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Winter itch}. (Med.) See {Prarie itch}, under {Prairie}.

   {Winter lodge}, or {Winter lodgment}. (Bot.) Same as
      {Hibernaculum}.

   {Winter mew}. (Zool.) Same as {Winter gull}, above. [Prov.
      Eng.]

   {Winter moth} (Zool.), any one of several species of
      geometrid moths which come forth in winter, as the
      European species ({Cheimatobia brumata}). These moths have
      rudimentary mouth organs, and eat no food in the imago
      state. The female of some of the species is wingless.

   {Winter oil}, oil prepared so as not to solidify in
      moderately cold weather.

   {Winter pear}, a kind of pear that keeps well in winter, or
      that does not ripen until winter.

   {Winter quarters}, the quarters of troops during the winter;
      a winter residence or station.

   {Winter rye}, a kind of rye that is sown in autumn.

   {Winter shad} (Zool.), the gizzard shad.

   {Winter sheldrake} (Zool.), the goosander. [Local, U. S.]

   {Winter sleep} (Zool.), hibernation.

   {Winter snipe} (Zool.), the dunlin.

   {Winter solstice}. (Astron.) See {Solstice}, 2.

   {Winter teal} (Zool.), the green-winged teal.

   {Winter wagtail} (Zool.), the gray wagtail ({Motacilla
      melanope}). [Prov. Eng.]

   {Winter wheat}, wheat sown in autumn, which lives during the
      winter, and ripens in the following summer.

   {Winter wren} (Zool.), a small American wren ({Troglodytes
      hiemalis}) closely resembling the common wren.
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