from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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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