season

noun

sea·son | \ ˈsē-zᵊn

Definition of season

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature in a season of religious awakening— F. A. Christie

b : a suitable or natural time or occasion when my season comes to sit on David's throne— John Milton

c : an indefinite period of time : while sent home again to her father for a season— Francis Hackett

2a : a period of the year characterized by or associated with a particular activity or phenomenon hay fever season : such as

(1) : a period associated with some phase or activity of agriculture (such as growth or harvesting)

(2) : a period in which an animal engages in some activity (such as migrating or mating) also : estrus, heat

(3) : the period normally characterized by a particular kind of weather a long rainy season

(4) : a period marked by special activity especially in some field tourist season hunting season

(5) : a period in which a place is most frequented

b : one of the four quarters into which the year is commonly divided

c : the time of a major holiday

d : a period of time when a series of new television shows, plays, etc., are being shown or performed a show entering its second season the first/best episode of the season the season's final performance

3 : year a boy of seven seasons

4 [ Middle English sesoun, from sesounen to season ] : seasoning

5 : the schedule of official games played or to be played by a sports team during a playing season got through the season undefeated

6 : off-season closed for the season

in season

1 : at the right time

2 : at the stage of greatest fitness (as for eating) peaches are in season

3 : legally available to be hunted or caught

out of season

: not in season

season

verb

seasoned; seasoning\ ˈsēz-niŋ

, ˈsē-zᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of season (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to give (food) more flavor or zest by adding seasoning or savory ingredients

b : to give a distinctive quality to as if by seasoning especially : to make more agreeable advice seasoned with wit

c archaic : to qualify by admixture : temper

2a : to treat (something, such as wood or a skillet) so as to prepare for use

b : to make fit by experience a seasoned veteran

intransitive verb

: to become seasoned

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about season

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Synonyms for season

Synonyms: Verb

flavor, lace, savor (also savour), spice

Examples of season in a Sentence

Noun

I enjoy watching the seasons change every year. These plants have a short growing season. Deer season starts next week. Monsoon season is coming soon. This season's fashions are very feminine. Pink is in style this season. The theater company will be putting on plays by Shakespeare this season. one of the shows in the network's season lineup

Verb

You must season the firewood. the chef seasoned the vegetables as soon as they came out of the oven

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Heughan celebrated the occasion by sharing a new, never-before-seen photo from the show's fifth season on his Instagram account. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Outlander Actor Sam Heughan Just Shared a New Photo from Season 5," 1 May 2019 One of my favorite ways to see a darker, colder-weather color updated is to perk it up with a little blonde balayage once the season starts to change. — Rebecca Norris, Allure, ""Sand Hair" Is the Trendiest Way to Do Balayage This Summer," 26 Apr. 2019 The 2019 cast includes Victor Arroyo from season 18 of Big Brother, Rachel Reilly from past seasons of Amazing Race, and the Survivor dynamic duo Rupert and Laura Boneham. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Amazing Race' Fans Are DONE With Season 31 After Discovering the Truth About the 2019 Contestants," 18 Apr. 2019 Which 90 Day Fiancé cast members will be on season 4? — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?' Season 4 Will Be Like Nothing You've Ever Watched," 19 Apr. 2019 Prepare for dewy skin that’ll keep you glowing all season. — Asia Milia Ware, Teen Vogue, "The Moisturizer Kim Kardashian’s Makeup Artist Swears By Lives Up To The Hype," 19 Apr. 2019 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Located in Washington state, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs through the entire month of April—peak tulip season. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Here Are all of The Tulip Festivals Happening in The U.S. This Spring," 17 Apr. 2019 No official announcement has been made regarding the timeslot for Chicago Fire's upcoming season. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Chicago Fire' Is Officially Coming Back for Season 8: Here's What to Know," 27 Mar. 2019 After the network released a new poster for the show's upcoming season this week, GoT enthusiasts focused on some enticing details. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Game of Thrones Fans Think the New Poster Teases Who Ends Up on the Iron Throne," 23 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The vinegar dressing, meanwhile, was seasoned with not just hot chiles but pickled bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers, making this escovitch more interesting than usual. — New York Times, "A Brooklyn Favorite for Jamaican Food Beats the Odds," 26 June 2018 Meanwhile, the fish is seasoned from the inside with a turmeric-chile seasoning that’s mixed with fresh lime juice and then cooked until the skin crisps up in the pan. — Nik Sharma, San Francisco Chronicle, "A Brown Kitchen: Turmeric-Baked Sea Bass With Saffron Couscous," 15 Jan. 2018 Sometimes tacos al pastor are merely seasoned with pineapple, used to marinate the meat. — Alex Kiesig, idahostatesman, "'I love this city': Eat your way through the Capital City Public Market," 6 July 2018 Over a dozen seasoned Republicans tried, in just as many ways or more, to cut down Trump during the 2016 primary and all lost in spectacular fashion. — Dan Merica, CNN, "Democrats are running hard -- away from the Trump circus," 15 May 2018 Plain Beef Burger Mike Polk says: Great bun, browned well, meat was perfectly seasoned. — cleveland.com, "Hatfield's Goode Grub packs burgers with flavorful toppings," 26 Apr. 2018 It's seasoned with these onions that are cooked low and slow in beef fat. — Sarah Rense, Esquire, "What Is the Perfect Burger?," 27 Feb. 2018 Rice for the nigiri is steamed in traditional iron pots over charcoal and then seasoned with red vinegar. — Melinda Joe, Condé Nast Traveler, "22 Best Places for Sushi in Tokyo," 27 Feb. 2018 Like all Lodge cast iron, this skillet comes pre-seasoned with 100% vegetable oil. — Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping, "Amazon's Top-Selling Cast Iron Skillet Is on Sale for $15," 4 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'season.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for season

Noun

Middle English sesoun, from Anglo-French seison natural season, appropriate time, from Latin sation-, satio action of sowing, from serere to sow — more at sow

Verb

Middle English sesounen, back-formation from sesounde flavored, from Anglo-French seisoné brought to a desired state, from seison

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