winter

The word “winter” means the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring. In plain terms, the cold season of the year — also used to describe a rough or dormant period in someone's life or career.

“Winter” is pronounced WIHN-tuh (/ˈwɪntə/ in IPA).

Here is “winter” used in a sentence: “They spent the winter skiing in the Alps.”

Depending on how it is used, “winter” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “winter” comes from Old English. From Old English winter, from a Proto-Germanic root shared with Dutch winter and German Winter.

“Winter” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Winter” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter usually runs from December to February, or from the December solstice to the March equinox by the astronomical calendar. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed, so winter falls in June, July, and August. The exact dates depend on which system you use.

Winter is coldest because of the tilt of the Earth. During winter, your hemisphere leans away from the Sun, so daylight is shorter and the Sun sits lower in the sky. Its rays strike the ground at a shallow angle and spread their heat thinly, keeping temperatures low.

The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of daylight, when the Sun reaches its lowest point in the midday sky. It marks the astronomical start of winter, around 21 December in the Northern Hemisphere. After it, days slowly begin to lengthen again toward spring.

Summer is the opposite of winter. It is the warmest season, with the longest days and the Sun high in the sky, whereas winter is the coldest, with the shortest days. The two fall exactly six months apart and sit at opposite points of the yearly cycle.