Winter solstice

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. ????.] [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster]

And after summer evermore succeeds Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Winter lingering chills the lap of May. --Goldsmith. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

2. The period of decay, old age, death, or the like. [1913 Webster]

Life's autumn past, I stand on winter's verge. --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster]

{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 l[ae]vigata}, 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The pintail. (b) The old squaw.

{Winter egg} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) See the Note under {Flounder}.

{Winter gull} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Winter gull}, above. [Prov. Eng.]

{Winter moth} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the gizzard shad.

{Winter sheldrake} (Zo["o]l.), the goosander. [Local, U. S.]

{Winter sleep} (Zo["o]l.), hibernation.

{Winter snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the dunlin.

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

{Winter teal} (Zo["o]l.), the green-winged teal.

{Winter wagtail} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), a small American wren ({Troglodytes hiemalis}) closely resembling the common wren. [1913 Webster]