winter

A1 Topic:Time

US /ˈwɪntɚ/ UK /ˈwɪntə/ See IPA manual

Freq #1919

Meanings

1

noun
The coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.

We often get snow here in winter.
2

verb
To spend the winter in a particular place.

When they retired, they hoped to winter in Florida.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the coldest season of the... wintertime

2 verb · to spend the winter in a... overwinter

Word family

Forms winteredwinteringwinters

Derived forms bewintercryptowinterearly-winterfimbulwinterforwinteredhildewinterain-winterjacky-winterlate-winterlove-in-wintermid-wintermidwinter

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

winter melon
a long-keeping variety of muskmelon with pale flesh and a smooth rind

Noun + noun
winter solstice
the time of year with the shortest daylight period in a hemisphere

Noun + noun
winter wren
a small wren associated with coniferous forests

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Winter comes from Old English and is probably related to wet, with an underlying meaning of “the wet season.”

Etymology

From Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-West Germanic *wintru, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”). Cognate with West Frisian winter (“winter”), Dutch winter (“winter”), German Winter (“winter”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vinter (“winter”), Icelandic vetur (“winter”).

winter Old English *wintru Proto-West Germanic *wintruz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time

External links

# winter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪntɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɪntə/
**Frequency rank:** 1919

## Meanings
1. The coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.
2. To spend the winter in a particular place.

## Examples
- We often get snow here in winter.
- When they retired, they hoped to winter in Florida.

## Derived Forms
- bewinter
- cryptowinter
- early-winter
- fimbulwinter
- forwintered
- hildewintera
- in-winter
- jacky-winter
- late-winter
- love-in-winter
- mid-winter
- midwinter

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: winter
- Root: *wintru
- Root: *wintruz

## Etymology
From Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-West Germanic *wintru, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”). Cognate with West Frisian winter (“winter”), Dutch winter (“winter”), German Winter (“winter”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vinter (“winter”), Icelandic vetur (“winter”).

## AI Etymology
Winter is from Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-West Germanic *wintru, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”). Cognate with West Frisian winter (“winter”), Dutch winter (“winter”), German Winter (“winter”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vinter (“winter”), Icelandic vetur (“winter”). Important historical forms include Middle English winter, Old English winter, Proto-West Germanic *wintru, and Proto-Germanic *wintruz. In present-day use, it can mean the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring, or to spend the winter in a particular place.

## Topics
- Time

markdown