Groundhog Day


noun
  1. February 2, in most parts of the U.S., the day on which, according to legend, the groundhog first emerges from hibernation. If it is a sunny day and the groundhog sees its shadow, six more weeks of wintry weather are predicted.

Origin of Groundhog Day

1
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Words Nearby Groundhog Day

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Groundhog Day in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

noun
  1. (in the US and Canada) February 2nd, when, according to tradition, the groundhog emerges from hibernation; if it sees its shadow, it returns to its burrow for six weeks as a sunny day indicates a late spring, while a cloudy day would mean an early spring

  2. a situation in which events are or appear to be continually repeated

Origin of Groundhog Day

1
C20: sense 2 from the 1993 film Groundhog Day, in which the lead character experiences the same day repeatedly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

February 2. According to the legend of Groundhog Day, if a groundhog (a woodchuck) comes out of his hole on that day and sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter will follow. If no shadow appears, there will be an early spring.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.