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Webster 1913 Edition

Season

Sea′son

,
Noun.
[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 of day and night, or by distinct conditions of temperature, moisture, etc., caused mainly by the relative position of the earth with respect to the sun. In the north temperate zone, four seasons, namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are generally recognized. Some parts of the world have three seasons, – the dry, the rainy, and the cold; other parts have but two, – the dry and the rainy.
The several
seasons
of the year in their beauty.
Addison.
2.
Hence, a period of time, especially as regards its fitness for anything contemplated or done; a suitable or convenient time; proper conjuncture;
as, the
season
for planting; the
season
for rest
.
The
season
, prime for sweetest scents and airs.
Milton.
3.
A period of time not very long; a while; a time.
Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
season
.
Acts xiii. 11.
4.
That which gives relish; seasoning.
[Obs.]
You lack the
season
of all natures, sleep.
Shakespeare
In season
,
in good time, or sufficiently early for the purpose.
–
Out of season
,
beyond or out of the proper time or the usual or appointed time.

Sea′son

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Seasoned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Seasoning
.]
1.
To render suitable or appropriate; to prepare; to fit.
He is fit and
seasoned
for his passage.
Shakespeare
2.
To fit for any use by time or habit; to habituate; to accustom; to inure; to ripen; to mature;
as, to
season
one to a climate
.
3.
Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices;
as, to
season
timber
.
4.
To fit for taste; to render palatable; to give zest or relish to; to spice;
as, to
season
food
.
5.
Hence, to fit for enjoyment; to render agreeable.
You
season
still with sports your serious hours.
Dryden.
The proper use of wit is to
season
conversation.
Tillotson.
6.
To qualify by admixture; to moderate; to temper.
“When mercy seasons justice.”
Shak.
7.
To imbue; to tinge or taint.
“Who by his tutor being seasoned with the love of the truth.”
Fuller.
Season
their younger years with prudent and pious principles.
Jer. Taylor.
8.
To copulate with; to impregnate.
[R.]
Holland.

Sea′son

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate.
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
.
3.
To give token; to savor.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.

Webster 1828 Edition

Season

SE'ASON.

n. se'zn.Season literally signifies that which comes or arrives; and in this general sense, is synonymous with time. Hence,
1. A fit or suitable time; the convenient time; the usual or appointed time; as, the messenger arrived in season; in good season. This fruit is out of season.
2. Any time, as distinguished from others.
The season prime for sweetest scents and airs. Milton.
3. A time of some continuance, but not long.
Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. Acts 13.
4. One of the four divisions of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter. The season is mild; it is cold for the season.
We saw in six days' traveling, the several seasons of the year n their beauty.

Definition 2024

season

season

English

Noun

season ‎(plural seasons)

  1. Each of the four divisions of a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter; yeartide.
    • Addison
      the several seasons of the year in their beauty
  2. A part of a year when something particular happens: mating season, rainy season, football season.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.
  3. (obsolete) That which gives relish; seasoning.
    • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4 Scene 1
      O! she is fallen
      Into a pit of ink, that the wide sea
      Hath drops too few to wash her clean again,
      And salt too little which may season give
      To her foul-tainted flesh.
    • 1605, Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Macbeth, III, 4
      You lack the season of all natures, sleep.
  4. (cricket) The period over which a series of Test matches are played.
  5. (Canada, US, broadcasting) A group of episodes of a television or radio program broadcast in regular intervals with a long break between each group, usually with one year between the beginning of each.
    The third season of Friends aired from 1996 to 1997.
  6. (obsolete) An extended, undefined period of time.
    • 1656, John Owen, The Mortification of Sin
      So it is in a person when a breach hath been made upon his conscience, quiet, perhaps credit, by his lust, in some eruption of actual sin; — carefulness, indignation, desire, fear, revenge are all set on work about it and against it, and lust is quiet for a season, being run down before them; but when the hurry is over and the inquest is past, the thief appears again alive, and is as busy as ever at his work.

Usage notes

In British English, a year-long group of episodes is called a series, whereas in North American English the word "series" is a synonym of "program" or "show".

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Seasons in English · seasons (layout · text)
spring summer fall, autumn winter

Verb

season ‎(third-person singular simple present seasons, present participle seasoning, simple past and past participle seasoned)

  1. (transitive) To flavour food with spices, herbs or salt.
  2. (transitive) To make fit for any use by time or habit; to habituate; to accustom; to inure; to ripen; to mature; as, to season one to a climate.
  3. (transitive) Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices; as, to season timber.
  4. (intransitive) To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate.
  5. (intransitive) 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.
  6. (obsolete) To copulate with; to impregnate.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Holland to this entry?)

Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English sesoun, seson ‎(“time of the year”), a borrowing from Old French seson, seison ‎(“time of sowing, seeding”), from Latin satiōnem, accusative of satiō ‎(“act of sowing, planting”) from satum, past participle of serere ‎(“to sow, plant”) from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- ‎(“to sow, plant”). Akin to Old English sāwan ‎(“to sow”), Old English sǣd ‎(“seed”). Displaced native Middle English sele ‎(“season”) (from Old English sǣl ‎(“season, time, occasion”)), Middle English tide ‎(“season, time of year”) (from Old English tīd ‎(“time, period, yeartide, season”)).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: sēʹzən IPA(key): /ˈsizən/
  • Rhymes: -iːzən

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