From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Season \Sea"son\, noun [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.
The several seasons of the year in their beauty. --Addison.
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.
The season, prime for sweetest scents and airs. --Milton.
3. A period of time not very long; a while; a time.
Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. --Acts xiii. 11.
4. That which gives relish; seasoning. [Obs.]
You lack the season of all natures, sleep. --Shak.
{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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Season \Sea"son\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Seasoned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Seasoning}.]
1. To render suitable or appropriate; to prepare; to fit.
He is fit and seasoned for his passage. --Shak.
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.
3. Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices; as, to season timber.
4. To fit for taste; to render palatable; to give zest or relish to; to spice; as, to season food.
5. Hence, to fit for enjoyment; to render agreeable.
You season still with sports your serious hours. --Dryden.
The proper use of wit is to season conversation. --Tillotson.
6. To qualify by admixture; to moderate; to temper. ''When mercy seasons justice.'' --Shak.
7. To imbue; to tinge or taint. ''Who by his tutor being seasoned with the love of the truth.'' --Fuller.
Season their younger years with prudent and pious principles. --Jer. Taylor.
8. To copulate with; to impregnate. [R.] --Holland.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Season \Sea"son\, verb (used without an object)
1. To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate.
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.
3. To give token; to savor. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
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: {time of year}]
3: a recurrent time marked by major holidays; "it was the Christmas season"
verb
1: lend flavor to; "Season the chicken breast after roasting it" [syn: {flavor}, {flavour}]
2: make fit; "This trip will season even the hardiest traveller" [syn: {harden}]
3: make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate; "she tempered her criticism" [syn: {temper}, {mollify}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
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
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