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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 November. (from Saint Martin's Day, November 11).

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

"Late last September, 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; Independent (London, UK); May 23, 2004.

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

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