winter

noun

win·ter | \ ˈwin-tər

Definition of winter

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : the season between autumn and spring comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of December, January, and February or as reckoned astronomically extending from the December solstice to the March equinox

2 : the colder half of the year

3 : year happened many winters ago

4 : a period of inactivity or decay

winter

verb

wintered; wintering\ ˈwin-t(ə-)riŋ

Definition of winter (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to pass the winter winters in the Caribbean

2 : to feed or find food during the winter —used with on

transitive verb

: to keep, feed, or manage during the winter

winter

adjective

Definition of winter (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : of, relating to, or suitable for winter a winter vacation winter clothes

2 : sown in the autumn and harvested in the following spring or summer winter wheat winter rye — compare summer

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about winter

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Examples of winter in a Sentence

Noun

They spend winters in Florida. We're in for a cold winter this year, I hear. She traveled there two winters ago. the last day of winter

Verb

The birds will winter in the southern part of the country. My family winters in Florida. The farm agreed to winter our horses for us.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

A year later, the couple is bundling up and trudging through their first full Ohio winter, among the 300 Puerto Rican workers Integrated Staffing Solutions has recruited to the Midwest in the past year and a half. — Erin Ailworth And, WSJ, "In Need of Workers, the Midwest Recruits From Puerto Rico," 14 Feb. 2019 The city is also literally hot (fine, warm), and summer (our winter) is the best time to visit thanks to minimal rain and dreamy temps; in January, the average high is 73 degrees. — Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, "The Instagram Guide to Auckland, New Zealand," 11 Feb. 2019 However, that seems to be primarily because of the weather—higher-than-normal heating demand in the winter and cooling demand in the summer. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Wrong way: 2018 global CO₂ emissions tick up again," 6 Dec. 2018 This national obsession with all things cozy is credited as one of the reasons why Denmark is always at the top of the list of the world's happiest countries, despite their infamously miserable winters. — Lyndsey Matthews, Country Living, "What Is Hygge? Everything You Need To Know About The Danish Lifestyle Trend," 4 Dec. 2018 According to a GoFundMe campaign Denay started, the family expects to spend its second winter in the garage-home this year. — Matthew Martinez, The Seattle Times, "Family didn’t know dream home was contaminated with meth," 6 Aug. 2018 Chicago may be known for its chilly winters and sharp winds, but few know the softness of its summer breezes at sunset. — Jenn M. Jackson, Teen Vogue, "The Visibility Project: Black Girls Takeover Douglas Park Was the Empowering Party of the Summer," 30 July 2018 After a winter that lasted forever, most people are looking forward to warmer weather. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "25+ Best Memorial Day Instagram Captions for All Your Patriotic Photos," 19 Apr. 2019 On a dark winter’s night in November 2001, R.P. hid on the grounds of the Happy House while 35 government officials were shot dead in a rampage that would be the biggest battle of the Nepalese civil war. — Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, "On Your Next Trip to Nepal, Rent the House Sir Edmund Hillary Loved," 20 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

And, as the weather gets colder, there is so much more to cover: how to winter-proof your car, how to drive cautiously in ice and snow, and how to trouble-shoot cold-weather problems. — Jasmin Radoncic, Good Housekeeping, "How to Use Jumper Cables and Jump Start a Car the Right Way," 5 Dec. 2018 Virginia also enjoyed traveling, especially wintering in St. Croix. — courant.com, "Virginia Cowles Holland," 30 May 2018 Along with being able to use your fave shade of Match Stix everywhere, Priscilla has shared how to use highlighter with your lipstick, and the surprising way that facial oils can help winter skin glow. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Prisiclla Ono Shared How to Use Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix to Create an Entire Look," 5 Dec. 2018 Known For: Hollywood stars like Bob Hope began wintering in this desert town in the shadow of Mount San Jacinto in the 1930s. — Kelly Crow, WSJ, "America’s Art Scenes Off the Beaten Track," 15 Sep. 2018 From its wintering grounds in Africa, the bird flies thousands of miles north to Europe to lay eggs in time for the emergence of winter moth caterpillars, which appear for a few weeks each spring to munch on young oak leaves. — Author: Livia Albeck Ripka, Brad Plumer, Anchorage Daily News, "5 plants and animals utterly confused by climate change," 10 Apr. 2018 Sabine Ranch holds some of Texas’ best remaining nesting/brood rearing habitat for mottled ducks, and its wetlands and prairie attract some of the densest concentrations of wintering waterfowl found on the upper Texas coast. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Major additions in the works for Texas’ public lands," 22 Apr. 2018 After her retirement and raising their children Nancy and Herb spent many wonderful years wintering in Delray Beach Florida with special friends Nate and Elsie. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Nancy B. Coman," 11 June 2018 As for its regular feathered inhabitants, the Coastside is blessed with migratory shorebirds, an abundance of gulls, breeding warblers, wintering sparrows, and a richness of raptors. — Jill K. Robinson, SFChronicle.com, "5 places to spot birds in Half Moon Bay," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Winter visitors can catch a glimpse of the refuge’s migrating tundra swans. — Danielle Ohl, baltimoresun.com, "Weekend adventure: A visitor's guide to Rock Hall and its old-school, waterfront charms," 3 Aug. 2017 Gigi appears in Stuart Weitzman's Fall/Winter 2017 campaign in the sleekest boots (including The Cling Bootie), bright pink blush, and a Shay Ashual wig that totally fooled us at first glance. — Sarah Wu, Allure, "Gigi Hadid Debuts Short Hair for Stuart Weitzman Campaign," 12 July 2017 Gigi appeared in Stuart Weitzman's Fall/Winter 2017 campaign in the sleekest boots (including The Cling Bootie), bright pink blush, and a Shay Ashual wig that totally fooled us at first glance. — Sarah Wu, Teen Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Debuts Short Hair for Stuart Weitzman Campaign," 12 July 2017 In The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes is turned into a weapon with no agency of his own. — Jenna Pearl, Marie Claire, "9 Hidden Feminist Messages in the Marvel Cinematic Universe," 5 June 2017 Winter Carnival events for Feb. 3 and 4 will be announced later. — Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, "Eyeing Super Bowl, St. Paul supersizes Winter Carnival to 17 days," 25 May 2017 Winter wheat and barley now lag about a week in development, compared to the last several years, according to Liza Malyshko, an analyst at UkrAgroConsult in Kiev. — Anatoly Medetsky, Bloomberg.com, "Chilly Weather Risks Delaying Black Sea Wheat, Barley Harvest," 23 May 2017 Winter color is maroon, with red tones across the green leaves in summer. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "Plan(t) on these top 10 best groundcover choices," 16 May 2017 Winter storm warnings are even posted in Northeastern Washington. — Paul P. Murphy, CNN, "Storm rejects springtime, dumps snow in Pacific Northwest," 16 May 2017

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