Definition of VERNAL

Did You Know?

If you want to sound sophisticated this spring, you can do what various learned individuals have done since the 16th century and refer to the spring equinox as the vernal equinox. You might also alter a classic rhyme to chant "Vernal showers bring May flowers." Or if you really want to wax poetic, you could compliment your lass's vernal grace or your beau's vernal charm. If you do, and your sweetheart asks where such a word comes from, you can further impress by saying, "'Vernal,' my dear, comes from the Latin 'vernalis,' which is derived from the Latin word for spring, 'ver.'"

Examples of vernal in a Sentence

trees and flowers in vernal bloom

Recent Examples on the Web

The holiday coincides with the vernal equinox, which welcomes spring in the Northern Hemisphere. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Here's How the Date of Easter Is Determined Each Year," 22 Feb. 2019 Citizen Science Coordinator Paula Coughlin led the first of her annual vernal pool trainings at the Audubon Center in Pomfret, on April 6 and 7. — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, "Immersed In Life For Vernal Pool Training," 17 Apr. 2018 Today's vernal equinox marks the time when the sun crosses over the equator and the length of days and nights will be almost equal. — Leigh Morgan, AL.com, "Spring equinox 2018: Winter is finally, officially, over," 20 Mar. 2018 Bancroft, who is an expert on vernal pools, as well as on other animals and habitats, gave a short presentation before beginning field observations. — Kitty Leshay, Courant Community, "Vernal Pools Bursting With Life," 8 May 2018 This craggy basalt mesa is, per its name, flat as a tabletop, but in spring vastly more beautiful, dotted with leafing-out oaks and brilliant with lupine and poppies and vernal pools that reflect the sky. — Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "Road trip along Sierra Nevada’s Feather River," 16 Mar. 2018 In this the Jews and Christians were like pretty much every culture on Earth that has celebrated the vernal equinox around this time of year—birth and rebirth, spring from winter. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "Star Wars Is Becoming a Religion, and May 4 Is Its Spring Festival," 4 May 2018 The Council ruled that Easter would be held on the Sunday following the fourteenth day of the Passover moon - the moon that appears on or after the vernal equinox. — Joe Songer, AL.com, "Awesome dogs and owners we saw at Mutt Strut 2018," 7 Apr. 2018 The holiday typically occurred around the time of the vernal equinox or the first day of spring, signaling a change from the dark days of winter to the cheery days of spring. — Leada Gore, AL.com, "When was the last time Easter was on April Fool's Day?," 30 Mar. 2018

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