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A.Word.A.Day--Indian summer

Indian summer (IN-dee-uhn SUM-uhr) noun

1. A period of unseasonably warm weather in late autumn or early winter.
2. A pleasant or flourishing period toward the end of something.

[Apparently from the fact that this weather phenomenon was first noticed in areas inhabited by Native Americans (erroneously called Indians), in the US.]

A related term is Saint Martin's summer, that is Indian summer occurring in Nov. (from Saint Martin's Day, Nov 11).

"Late last Sep, in the thick of a glorious Indian summer in Paris, I booked a table for dinner with my friend."
Dana Thomas; Consuming Passion; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Apr 10, 2004.

"For Howley there is only a continuation of the Indian summer of a career that is now promising to be swansonged by a final sojourn with the Lions next year."
James Corrigan; Howley's Audacity; The Independent (London, UK); May 23, 2004.

See more usage examples of Indian summer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

This week's theme: Toponyms or words derived from place names

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