noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdɒɡ deɪz/
General-American:/ˈdɔɡ deɪz/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The days following the heliacal rising of Sirius, now in early August (Gregorian) at dates varying by latitude.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, plural, plural-normally
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: canicular days
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The unpleasantly hot days of late summer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-normally
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Any similar period of inactivity, laziness, or stagnation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-normally
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
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: canicule, canicular days
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time period, period of time, period
History
Etymology
Calque of Latin diēs caniculārēs (“puppy days”), a calque of Ancient Greek κυνάδες ἡμέραι (kunádes hēmérai, “dog days”), from κυνάς (kunás, “of or related to dogs”), from Κῠ́ων (Kŭ́ōn, “the Dog”) in reference to the star Sirius, which appears in Homeric Greek as "Orion's dog". The return of Sirius to the night sky (its heliacal rising), occurring in antiquity around July 25 (Athens) or 29 (Rome), was considered by the Greeks and Romans to herald what were considered the hottest, least healthy, and least lucky days of summer.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أَيَّام الشِّعْرَى
(ʔayyām aš-šiʕrā)
— the days between early July and early September
Arabic:
الخَمَاسِين
(al-ḵamāsīn)
— the days between early July and early September
Aramaic:
ܟܠܒܐ
— the days between early July and early September
Bulgarian:
горещници
(goreštnici)
— the days between early July and early September
Catalan:
canícula
— the days between early July and early September
Chinese Mandarin:
三伏
(sānfú)
— the days between early July and early September
Danish:
hundedage
— the days between early July and early September
Dutch:
hondsdagen
— the days between early July and early September
Faroese:
hundadagar
— the days between early July and early September
Finnish:
mätäkuu
— the days between early July and early September
French:
canicule
— the days between early July and early September
German:
Hundstage
— the days between early July and early September
Irish:
laethe madrúla
— the days between early July and early September
Italian:
canicola
— the days between early July and early September
Italian:
solleone
— the days between early July and early September
Japanese:
真夏
(manatsu)
— the days between early July and early September
Korean:
삼복
(sambok)
— the days between early July and early September
Norwegian Bokmål:
hundedager
— the days between early July and early September
Persian:
روزهای سگی
(ruzhāye sagi)
— the days between early July and early September
Polish:
kanikuła
— the days between early July and early September
Portuguese:
Canícula
— the days between early July and early September
Romanian:
caniculă
— the days between early July and early September
Russian:
мёртвый сезо́н
(mjórtvyj sezón)
— the days between early July and early September
Russian:
зно́йные ле́тние дни
(znójnyje létnije dni)
— the days between early July and early September
Spanish:
canícula
— the days between early July and early September
Swedish:
rötmånad
— the days between early July and early September
Turkish:
eyyamıbahur
— the days between early July and early September
Arabic:
سَمَائِم
(samāʔim)
— unpleasantly hot days
Bulgarian:
горещници
(goreštnici)
— unpleasantly hot days
Catalan:
canícula
— unpleasantly hot days
Chinese Mandarin:
三伏天
(sānfútiān)
— unpleasantly hot days
Chinese Mandarin:
大热天
— unpleasantly hot days
French:
canicule
— unpleasantly hot days
Georgian:
პაპანაქება
(ṗaṗanakeba)
— unpleasantly hot days
Georgian:
ყველაზე ცხელი დღეები
(q̇velaze cxeli dɣeebi)
— unpleasantly hot days
Georgian:
ზაფხულის ცხელი სეზონი
(zapxulis cxeli sezoni)
— unpleasantly hot days
Greek:
κυνικά καύματα
(kyniká kávmata)
— unpleasantly hot days
Hungarian:
kánikula
— unpleasantly hot days
Italian:
solleone
— unpleasantly hot days
Polish:
kanikuła
— unpleasantly hot days
Portuguese:
canícula
— unpleasantly hot days
Romanian:
caniculă
— unpleasantly hot days
Romanian:
arșiță
— unpleasantly hot days
Spanish:
canícula
— unpleasantly hot days
Finnish:
kissanpäivät
— period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation
Polish:
martwy sezon
— period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation
Russian:
мёртвый сезо́н
(mjórtvyj sezón)
— period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation