Canicular

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the hottest days of summer, often linked to the Dog Star's rise, which is associated with heat and the related seasonal characteristics
2. Relating to the period of the year characterized by the sun’s highest elevation and typically the warmest temperatures associated with summer
3. Describing the time during the warmest part of the year when the sun is at its peak, influential in defining seasonal weather patterns and phenomena

Etymology: The Dog Days of summer take their name from a star. The Romans called Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, "Canicula," or "little dog," probably because it sits in the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog. Its appearance alongside the sun in late summer was thought to add to the heat, and the period when it rose with the sun came to be known as the "canicular" days. The adjective "canicular" is built from "canicula" plus the Latin suffix "-aris," which forms adjectives meaning "of or relating to." So the word literally means "of the little dog," and in English it describes the sweltering weather that the star was believed to bring.

Synonyms: dog days