season

season
\ \ [13] A season is etymologically a time of ‘sowing seeds’. The word comes via Old French seson from Latin satiō ‘act of sowing’, a derivative of satus, the past participle of serere ‘sow, plant’ (which went back to the same Indo- European base that produced English seed, semen, and sow). In post-classical times ‘act of sowing’ evolved into ‘time for sowing’, and by the time it reached Old French it had developed further to any ‘suitable time’. The application to ‘any of the four main divisions of the year’ emerged in English in the 14th century. The use of season as a verb, meaning ‘add flavourings to’, had its beginnings in post-classical Latin, and arose as the result of a progression from ‘sow’ through ‘ripen’ to ‘cook thoroughly or well’.
\ \ Cf.⇒ SEED, SEMEN, SOW

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?
Synonyms:
, , , , , , , , , / , , , , , , / , , , , , , , , / , , / , / , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • season — sea‧son [ˈsiːzn] noun [countable, uncountable] COMMERCE TRAVEL a period of time in the year when most business is done, or the time of year when something happens: • A full shuttle service is not expected until after the summer tourist season. • …   Financial and business terms

  • season — [sē′zən] n. [ME sesoun < OFr seson < VL satio, season for sowing < L, a sowing, planting < base of serere, to sow: see SEED] 1. any of the four arbitrary divisions of the year, characterized chiefly by differences in temperature,… …   English World dictionary

  • Season 6B — or Season 6 (b) is a popular fan theory related to the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who . An example of fanon, it is a hypothetical series of adventures of the Doctor that takes place between the last serial of… …   Wikipedia

  • Season — Sea son, n. [OE. sesoun, F. saison, properly, the sowing time, fr. L. satio a sowing, a planting, fr. serere, satum, to sow, plant; akin to E. sow, v., to scatter, as seed.] 1. One of the divisions of the year, marked by alterations in the length …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Season — Sea son, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Seasoned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Seasoning}.] 1. To render suitable or appropriate; to prepare; to fit. [1913 Webster] He is fit and seasoned for his passage. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To fit for any use by time or habit;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • season — [n] time of year governed by annual equinoxes autumn, division, fall, interval, juncture, occasion, opportunity, period, spell, spring, summer, term, time, while, winter; concept 814 season [v1] flavor food color, enliven, lace, leaven, pep,… …   New thesaurus

  • season — ► NOUN 1) each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours. 2) a period of the year characterized by a climatic feature, sport, or event. 3) the time of year when …   English terms dictionary

  • Season — Sea son, v. i. 1. To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate. [1913 Webster] 2. To become dry and hard, by the escape of the natural juices, or by being penetrated with other substance; as, timber seasons in the sun.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Season — puede referirse a: En la cultura popular: Sevendust. Seasons (canción), de Ayumi Hamasaki. Seasons (canción de Cunninlynguists) The Sims 2: Seasons, una expansión para el juego Los Sims 2. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Season — (engl., spr. ßis n), s. Saison …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Season — (engl., spr. ßihs n), s. Saison …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”