[syn: temper, season, mollify]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Season \Sea"son\, n. [OE. sesoun, F. saison, properly, the
sowing time, fr. L. satio a sowing, a planting, fr. serere,
satum, to sow, plant; akin to E. sow, v., to scatter, as
seed.]
1. One of the divisions of the year, marked by alterations in
the length of day and night, or by distinct conditions of
temperature, moisture, etc., caused mainly by the relative
position of the earth with respect to the sun. In the
north temperate zone, four seasons, namely, spring,
summer, autumn, and winter, are generally recognized. Some
parts of the world have three seasons, -- the dry, the
rainy, and the cold; other parts have but two, -- the dry
and the rainy.
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The several seasons of the year in their beauty.
--Addison.
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2. Hence, a period of time, especially as regards its fitness
for anything contemplated or done; a suitable or
convenient time; proper conjuncture; as, the season for
planting; the season for rest.
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The season, prime for sweetest scents and airs.
--Milton.
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3. A period of time not very long; a while; a time.
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Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
season. --Acts xiii.
11.
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4. That which gives relish; seasoning. [Obs.]
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You lack the season of all natures, sleep. --Shak.
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In season, in good time, or sufficiently early for the
purpose.
Out of season, beyond or out of the proper time or the
usual or appointed time.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Season \Sea"son\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seasoned; p. pr. & vb.
n. Seasoning.]
1. To render suitable or appropriate; to prepare; to fit.
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He is fit and seasoned for his passage. --Shak.
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2. To fit for any use by time or habit; to habituate; to
accustom; to inure; to ripen; to mature; as, to season one
to a climate.
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3. Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of
natural juices; as, to season timber.
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4. To fit for taste; to render palatable; to give zest or
relish to; to spice; as, to season food.
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5. Hence, to fit for enjoyment; to render agreeable.
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You season still with sports your serious hours.
--Dryden.
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The proper use of wit is to season conversation.
--Tillotson.
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6. To qualify by admixture; to moderate; to temper. "When
mercy seasons justice." --Shak.
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7. To imbue; to tinge or taint. "Who by his tutor being
seasoned with the love of the truth." --Fuller.
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Season their younger years with prudent and pious
principles. --Jer. Taylor.
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8. To copulate with; to impregnate. [R.] --Holland.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Season \Sea"son\, v. i.
1. To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted
to a climate.
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2. To become dry and hard, by the escape of the natural
juices, or by being penetrated with other substance; as,
timber seasons in the sun.
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3. To give token; to savor. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
season
n 1: a period of the year marked by special events or activities
in some field; "he celebrated his 10th season with the
ballet company"; "she always looked forward to the avocado
season"
2: one of the natural periods into which the year is divided by
the equinoxes and solstices or atmospheric conditions; "the
regular sequence of the seasons" [syn: season, time of
year]
3: a recurrent time marked by major holidays; "it was the
Christmas season"
v 1: lend flavor to; "Season the chicken breast after roasting
it" [syn: season, flavor, flavour]
2: make fit; "This trip will season even the hardiest traveller"
[syn: season, harden]
3: make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding
something else; moderate; "she tempered her criticism" [syn:
temper, season, mollify]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
177 Moby Thesaurus words for "season":
abate, acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, accustom, adapt,
adjust, adjust to, age, alter, anhydrate, assuage, attain majority,
available, beautify, besprinkle, blast-freeze, bloom, box in,
break, break in, breathe, brew, brine, case harden, circumscribe,
color, come of age, come to maturity, condition, confirm, corn,
cultivate, cure, day, decoct, dehydrate, desiccate, develop,
diminish, discipline, domesticate, domesticize, dredge, dry,
dry-cure, dry-salt, dye, edible, elaborate, embalm, embellish,
enliven, entincture, establish, evaporate, evolve, familiarize,
fateful moment, finish, fit, fix, flavor, fledge, flower, freeze,
freeze-dry, fume, gentle, grow, grow up, habituate, harden, hedge,
hedge about, hour, housebreak, imbrue, imbue, impregnate,
infiltrate, infuse, instant, instill, interval, inure, irradiate,
jerk, juncture, kairos, kipper, leave the nest, leaven, limit,
marinade, marinate, mature, mellow, minute, mitigate, moderate,
modify, modulate, moment, moment of truth, mummify, narrow,
naturalize, occasion, opportunity, orient, orientate, palliate,
penetrate, pep up, pepper, perfect, period, permeate, pervade,
pickle, point, polish, pregnant moment, prepare, preservatize,
psychological moment, qualify, quick-freeze, reach manhood,
reach twenty-one, reach voting age, ready, reduce, refine,
refrigerate, regulate by, restrain, restrict, ripe, ripen, salt,
saturate, sauce, savor, school, seasonable, seasoned,
set conditions, set limits, settle down, smoke, smoke-cure, soften,
space, span, spell, spice, stage, steel, steep, stretch, stuff,
suffuse, tame, temper, term, time, time lag, tincture, tinge,
toga virilis, toughen, train, transfuse, while, wont