summer

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
  2. noun the period of finest development, happiness, or beauty
  3. verb spend the summer

Etymology

From Middle English somer, sumer, from Old English sumor m, from Proto-West Germanic *sumar m, from Proto-Germanic *sumaraz m, derived from Proto-Indo-European *semh₂- (“summer”). Cognates Cognate with Scots somer, sumer, simer, West Frisian simmer, Saterland Frisian Suumer, Dutch zomer, Low German Sommer, German Sommer, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål sommer, Swedish sommar, Norwegian Nynorsk and Icelandic sumar; Welsh haf, Armenian ամ (am, “year”), ամառ (amaṙ, “summer”), Sanskrit समा (sámā, “a half-year, season, weather, year”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬨 (ham-), Middle Persian ḥʾmyn (hāmīn), Northern Kurdish havîn, Central Kurdish ھاوین (hawîn).

In classic literature

Synonyms

summertime

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