noun
Meaning 1
Synonym of dog days.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, plural, plural-only
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dog days
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
canicular days
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
Meaning 2
the hot period between early July and early September; a period of inactivity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dog days, canicule
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time period, period of time, period
History
Etymology
Calque of Latin diēs caniculārēs (literally “puppy days”), from Canīcula (“the Puppy”), a semantic loan of Ancient Greek Κῠ́ων (Kŭ́ōn, “the Dog”) in reference to Sirius, which appears in Epic Greek as κῠ́ων Ὠρίωνος (kŭ́ōn Ōríōnos, literally “Orion’s dog”) in its elided accusative form κύν’ Ὠρίωνος (kún’ Ōríōnos) in Iliad XXII.29.