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winter

winter

∞ 1.0
A season with the coldest weather between autumn and spring
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪntər/
: invierno
  • During the long, cold winter, we often enjoy cozy evenings by the fire.
  • cold winter
  • early winter
  • late winter

But now we live in this age where winter never really comes.

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Examples

  • Now I'm dreaming of Los Angeles as the winter closes in.

  • Think of yourself outdoors on a very cold winter day, taking a brisk walk.

  • But now we live in this age where winter never really comes.

  • I have either winter clothes or summer clothes.

  • But our NHS goes into this winter in crisis.

  • But it became long, tense winter months of fear.

  • All he hears are the sounds of a winter night in the mountains.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Stiff breeze in the winter time takes it out of me.

  • It was winter and very cold.

  • Can't have the gas flow interrupted, or people's homes will go cold this winter.

Synonyms

wintertime
vswinter
19 1.0

The cold season of the year when days are short and often snowy

is broader, using simple seasonal boundaries rather than precise astronomical dates
wintertide
vswinter
  • Archaic
1 9.9

The cold season of the year with snow

is the neutral modern term used in everyday speech for that season

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

The warmest season of the year between spring and autumn

Idioms

The coldest, darkest time of winter when the weather is at its worst

To make a poor choice at the wrong time

Compounds

An event where athletes from many countries compete every four years in winter sports like skiing and skating

13 1.0

A holiday when schools and universities close for winter

The day in December with the shortest daylight and longest night in the northern hemisphere

9 3.9

The coldest, most severe part of winter

7 3.0

A very cold winter that causes damage and problems

6 7.5

A long cold and dark time worldwide after many large bombs make dust and smoke that block the sun

A vegetable with hard skin and yellow or orange inside that people keep for winter

A major international sports event that happens every four years for winter sports like skiing and skating

Clothes and accessories made for cold weather by a brand

1 4.4

A large green fruit with pale flesh used in Asian cooking or the plant that makes it

A hot drink or meal that makes you feel warm in cold weather

winter rose
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A European plant that keeps green leaves and has white or purple flowers in winter

1 7.5

A flat fish from cold north Atlantic waters that people eat and often catch in winter

A shrub with bright yellow flowers that bloom in winter

A plant that has bright red berries and is often used for decoration but can be poisonous

Producing flowers during the winter

1 7.3

A very small brown bird that lives in pine forests and often stays near the ground

A small cooking herb with a peppery taste like thyme

1 4.2

Ability of a plant to survive cold winter weather without dying

An edible mushroom with a smooth orange or brown cap and a velvety stalk that grows in clusters

A small plant with bright yellow flowers that appear early in spring before the snow melts

Austrian winter pea
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A plant grown in cool areas to feed animals and improve soil

Plants that bloom in winter

1 9.9

A shrub with drooping clusters of yellow flowers that bloom in early spring before the leaves appear

1 8.1

A small shrub with sweet-smelling flowers that bloom in winter

1 6.8

A small sharp cold feeling in the air that means winter is coming

1 7.0

A leafy plant with yellow flowers eaten in winter salads

winter purslane
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A small green plant with soft leaves that you eat raw in salads

A small leafy plant with peppery, edible leaves used in salads

A small plant with white or pink flowers that blooms in late winter

A small South American plant grown indoors for its bright, poisonous, cherry-sized fruit

A small tree or bush from Japan with pink flowers that bloom in winter

A winter squash with hard skin and a long curved neck

A squash with hard skin and a long curved neck that stores well and is good for winter meals

A North American bush with clusters of red or pink flowers that bloom in early spring

A large plant with leaves like a fern and white flowers with all parts very poisonous

A low shrub with bell-shaped red or pink flowers that blooms in early spring

A small plant with sweet-smelling white-pink flowers that bloom in winter

winter rat
  • Informal
9.9

A person who stays mostly indoors during winter to avoid the cold

A climbing plant that grows large smooth fruits used in Asian cooking

A plant that grows squashes with thick skins that you pick in autumn

9.9

A dark cup-shaped mushroom that grows on dead wood in winter

How Cold

midwinter
5 3.5
winter
∞ 1.0
autumn
153 1.0

Surface Forms

winter singular
winters plural

Etymology

Winter likely comes from a very old word that meant 'water' or 'wet', because this season often brings rain and snow. That's why winter now names the cold, wet time of year between autumn and spring.