chickweed wintergreen see wintergreen under winter

chicken-and-egg situation

One in which it is impossible to tell which is the cause and which the effect

chicken out (informal; often with of)

To desert, quit, through losing one's nerve or cowardice

count one's chickens before they are hatched

To plan or act on the basis of expectations or future results without conclusive evidence that they will be fulfilled

like a headless chicken

In a frantic, panic-stricken manner

no (spring) chicken (derogatory or facetious)

No longer young

the chickens have come home to roost see under roost¹

winter /winˈtər/

1. The cold season of the year, lasting approximately from December to February in the northern hemisphere and from June to August in the southern hemisphere
2. In the astronomical year, the period of time between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox
3. A year (poetic)
4. Any season of cheerlessness

1. Of, for or occurring in winter
2. Sown in autumn, as eg winter wheat, winter crop, etc

To pass the winter somewhere, esp somewhere warm

To feed and keep through winter

winˈtered adjective

1. Having seen many winters, aged (obsolete)
2. Exposed to winter
3. Worn in winter (Shakespeare)

winˈterer noun

winterizāˈtion or winterisāˈtion noun

winˈterize or winˈterise transitive verb (esp N American)

To make suitable for use under wintry conditions

winˈterless adjective

winˈterly adjective

Cheerless

winˈtrily adverb

winˈtriness noun

winˈtry or winˈtery adjective

1. Resembling, belonging to or characteristic of winter
2. Stormy
3. Cheerless, unfriendly, cold or hostile

winter aconite see under aconite

winter apple noun

An apple that keeps well in winter, or that does not ripen until winter

winˈter-beaten adjective (Spenser)

Beaten or injured by the cold of winter

winˈterberry noun

A name given to several shrubs of the genus Ilex, growing in the eastern parts of N America

winˈter-bloom noun

1. The witch-hazel
2. A species of azalea

winˈterbourne noun

An intermittent spring of water, as found in the chalk districts

winter bud noun

A bud protected by scales in which next year's shoot passes the winter

winter cherry noun

1. Any species of Physalis, esp Physalis alkekengi
2. Its edible fruit
3. The balloon-vine, or its fruit

winˈter-clad adjective

Warmly clad

winter clover noun

The partridgeberry

winter cress noun

A cruciferous plant (genus Barbarea) formerly cultivated for winter salad

winter garden noun

1. An ornamental garden of evergreens, etc, or a conservatory with flowers, for winter
2. (in pl; with caps) used sometimes as the name of a theatre, concert hall, etc

winˈtergreen noun

1. A plant of the genus Pyrola, also of Chimaphila
2. A plant of the genus Gaultheria, whose oil (oil of wintergreen) is an aromatic stimulant, used in flavouring confectionery and in medicine (chickweed wintergreen either of two plants, Trientalis europaea or Trientalis americana, belonging to the Primulaceae, having white starlike flowers)

winˈter-ground transitive verb (Shakespeare, Cymbeline IV.2.230)

Assumed to mean protect (a plant) from the inclemency of winter

winter heliotrope noun

A plant (Petasites fragrans) producing sweet-smelling lilac flowers in winter

winter jasmine noun

A shrub (Jasminum nudiflorum) which produces yellow flowers in winter

winˈterkill transitive verb (N American)

To kill (a plant or crop) by exposure to the winter's cold

winter melon noun

Another name for casaba

winter moth noun

A moth (Operophtera brumata), the male of which emerges in winter

winter quarters plural noun

1. The quarters of an army during winter
2. A winter residence

winter solstice noun

1. The time of year when, in the northern hemisphere, the sun reaches its southernmost point, or, in the southern hemisphere, its northermost, respectively 21 December and 21 June
2. The point on the celestial sphere at which, in the northern hemisphere, the ecliptic is furthest south of the celestial equator, or in the southern hemisphere, furthest north (astronomy)

winter sports plural noun

Open-air sports practised on snow and ice, such as skiing, etc

winˈter-sweet noun

1. A Japanese shrub (Chimonanthus praecox) of the family Calycanthaceae whose fragrant yellow flowers appear before the leaves
2. Another name for marjoram

winˈtertide noun (archaic)

Wintertime

winˈtertime noun

The season of winter

winˈter-weight adjective

(of clothes) heavy enough or thick enough to be suitable for cold weather