dog days

the dog days

1. The period in the summer often thought to be hottest, usually considered to be July 3 to August 11. In ancient times, people associated the heat during this period with the concurrent rising of Sirius, nicknamed "the dog star." The phrase is a translation of the Latin dies caniculares, meaning "dog star days." As a kid, I loved lounging in the swimming pool during the dog days of summer.2. By extension, a period of lethargy, inactivity, or stagnation. We're in the dog days of our fiscal year, and unfortunately we'll just have to make up for it during the holiday season.See also: days, dog

dog days

Hot, sultry summer weather; also, a period of stagnation. For example, It's hard to get much work done during the dog days, or Every winter there's a week or two of dog days when sales drop dramatically. The term alludes to the period between early July and early September, when Sirius, the so-called Dog Star, rises and sets with the sun. The ancient Romans called this phenomenon dies caniculares, which was translated as "dog days" in the first half of the 1500s. See also: days, dog

dog days

1. Dog days are the hottest days of the year that occur in July and August in the northern hemisphere. In the country, midsummer marks the final burst of activity before the lazy, dog days of July and August. Note: The ancient Romans named these days `dies caniculares' or `dog days' because the Dog Star, Sirius, could be seen in the morning sky at this time of year. They believed that the combination of Sirius and the sun produced very hot weather. 2. The dog days of something is the end of the period in which it exists, when it is no longer successful or popular. He was a minister in the dog days of John Major's government.See also: days, dog

dog days

The hottest days of summer. This cliché is a literal translation from the Latin caniculares dies. The ancient Romans ascribed the apex of summer heat to the ascendancy of the dog star, or Sirius. The brightest star in the heavens, it is located in the constellation Canis Major, meaning “big dog.” Although modern meteorologists may scoff, the term has survived for nearly two thousand years.See also: days, dog

dog days

dog days,

name for the most sultry period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunctionconjunction,
in astronomy, alignment of two celestial bodies as seen from the earth. Conjunction of the moon and the planets is often determined by reference to the sun.
..... Click the link for more information. of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun. In the latitude of the Mediterranean region this period coincided with hot days that were plagued with disease and discomfort. The time of conjunction varies with difference in latitude, and because of the precession of the equinoxesprecession of the equinoxes,
westward motion of the equinoxes along the ecliptic. This motion was first noted by Hipparchus c.120 B.C. The precession is due to the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun on the equatorial bulge of the earth, which causes the earth's axis to
..... Click the link for more information. it changes gradually over long periods in all latitudes.

An antique garnet gem showing a dog surrounded by solar ray, based on Roman superstition relating to the “dog days” between July 3 and August 11, when warm weather was thought to be caused by the rising and setting of the dog star, Sirius. Reproduced by permission of Fortean Picture Library.

Dog Days

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

Dog days are a 40-day period, usually given as July 3 to August 11, that is regarded as being the hottest time of the year. This period was originally calculated from the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, after which dog days received its name.

dog days

[′dȯg ‚dāz] (climatology) The period of greatest heat in summer.

Dog Days

July 3-August 11The Dog Days are known as the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and usually occur in July and early August. In ancient times, the sultry weather in Rome during these months often made people sick, and they blamed their illnesses on the fact that this was the time of year when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose at about the same time as the sun. Because Sirius was the brightest star, it was thought to add its heat to the sun, producing hot, unhealthy weather. The ancients used to sacrifice a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius.
Although there are many different ways of calculating which days in any given year are the dog days, and how long they last, it is impossible to be precise. Nowadays it is generally assumed that they fall between July 3 and August 11—slightly later than they occurred in ancient times.
Because of their association with the Dog Star, various beliefs have sprung up involving the behavior of dogs during this period. In the 16th century it was believed that dogs went mad during the Dog Star season. Another name for this time of year, the canicular days, comes from the Latin word canis meaning "dog."
SOURCES:
BkDays-1864, vol. II, p. 5
DictDays-1988, p. 32
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 918
OxYear-1999, p. 595
(c)

dog days

dog days

dog days

dog′ days`

dog days

the dog days

dog days

dog days

dog days

dog days

dog days,

Dog Days

dog days

Dog Days

dog days

Synonyms for dog days

noun the hot period between early July and early September

Synonyms

Related Words