the dead of winter

dead of winter

The middle of winter, which is usually especially cold. I find myself dreaming of tropical islands every year in the dead of winter.See also: dead, of, winter

the dead of winter

the coldest part of winter. The sense of dead here and in the previous idiom developed in the 16th century from dead time of —, meaning the period most characterized by lack of signs of life or activity.See also: dead, of, winter