Seasons

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsiːzn̩z/

Definitions

1. Divisions of the calendar year that showcase diverse climatic conditions, biological cycles, and cultural celebrations throughout
2. Intervals of the year characterized by distinct weather conditions, fluctuations in flora and fauna, and various traditional festivities
3. Periodic divisions of the year marked by unique climatic patterns, changes in nature, and significant cultural events

Etymology: "Seasons" is simply the plural of "season," and the singular has a surprising past: its Latin ancestor meant the act of sowing seed. The Latin "satio" (planting, sowing) came from "serere," "to sow," and passed into Old French as "seson" or "saison," meaning the time of sowing and seeding. English took it from there as "seson" in Middle English, meaning simply a time of the year. The word thus began as an agricultural term, tied to the farmer's calendar, before it grew into the general idea of a period of the year. English already had its own words for this idea. Old English "sǣl" and "tīd" (the latter related to "tide," as in "Yuletide") meant a time or occasion, and "season" displaced the older Middle English "sele" and "tide" for the meaning "time of year." The two words that now survive for this sense are therefore linked to the same ancient root that gave English "seed" and "sow," a connection that is easy to miss.

Synonyms: periods, phases, times