February

A1
US /ˈfɛb.ɹuˌɛɹi/ UK /ˈfɛb.ɹʊ.ə.ɹi/
name Freq #5476

Meanings

  1. 1
    name

    The short month following January and preceding March in the Roman, Julian, and Gregorian calendars, used in all three calendars for intercalation or addition of leap days.

    Holonyms: calendar year; year

  2. 2
    name

    A female given name transferred from the month name [in turn from English].

    “Cheryl, the man in this photo is a Mr. Dennis Lowe. He worked for a computer software company and he was married. He was impersonating a police officer, a real one by the name of Alexander Colton. He was doing this because he's obsessed with a woman named February—” Nowakowski stopped talking because Cheryl Sheckle's body jerked violently and she let out a muted cry. […] “It isn't a nickname, Cheryl. It's a real person, her name is February Owens and he's been obsessed with her since they went to high school together.”

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-der. Latin februum Latin Februa Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -arius Latin Februāriusder. Middle English Februarie English February From Middle English Februarie, februari, februare, from Latin Februārius (“the month of the Februa”), from Februa (“the Purgings, the Purifications”), a Roman holiday two days after its ides (i.e., Feb. 15), + -arius (“-ary: forming adjectives”). Februa from februum (“purging”), from an earlier Sabine [Term?] word, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”) and thus cognate with…

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Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 name · the short month following... second month
Word family
Derived forms mid-february
Related forms februatefebruation

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