midwinter

[mid-win-ter, -win-, mid-win-ter]

noun

1. the middle of winter.

2. the winter solstice, around December 22.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring in the middle of the winter.

midwinter

/ ˈmɪdˈwɪntə /

noun

1. 1. the middle or depth of the winter

   2. ( as modifier )

      a midwinter festival

2. another name for winter solstice

Other Word Forms

• midwintry adjective
• midwinterly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of midwinter¹

before 1150; Middle English, Old English; mid ¹, winter

Example Sentences

As a result, vegetation that would typically be full of water by midwinter instead remained parched.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The ground in November is not as cold as it would be in midwinter so some of the snow hitting the roads will probably melt, though larger accumulations could gather on colder grassy surfaces.

Read more on BBC

At the other end of the world, scientists living in Antarctica throw their annual midwinter feast to commemorate the longest, darkest night on the continent.

Read more on New York Times

What a wonderful and thoughtful end to a sunny midwinter day and the start of a beautiful full-moon evening!

Read more on Seattle Times

With most of the Bay Area receiving double the average rainfall by the midwinter of 1997-98, “a number of slow-moving landslides were activated” that winter and into spring, according to the U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times