The dreary days and super-cold temperatures of this winter have left me longing for warmer days and sunshine. How about you?
alpenglow on Everest, wikimedia commons
Have you ever been to the land of the midnight sun? Do your dogs like to apricate? Have you watched a turnsole follow the movement of the sun? What does alpenglow have to do with mountains?
alpenglow – Does alpenglow make you think of mountains? I think of the Alps when I see this word. Alpenglow is the reddish glow often seen on the summits of mountains just before sunrise or just after sunset.
apollonian – This word doesn’t specifically refer to the sun, but it does refer to Apollo, the sun god in Greek and Roman mythology. The adjective form of Apollo, it means serene, calm, or well-balanced; poised, and disciplined.
dogs basking in the sun, flickr
apricate – This word entered the English language in the 1690s. Although you might think it is related to the word apricot, it isn’t. Apricate means to bask in the sun and soak up it’s warming rays. Instead of saying that you are going to lay out and tan, you could say that you are going to apricate.
dayglow – Airglow is a dim light from the upper atmosphere caused by emissions from atoms and molecules ionized by solar radiation. When this dim glow is observed at night, it is called nightglow. When observed during the day, it is known as dayglow. And, finally, when observed at twilight, it is known as twilight glow. The names are similar, but airglow, nightglow, dayglow, and twilight glow all have slightly different characteristics.
golden glow on water, max pixel
engild – This word describes what happens when the sun casts its golden light on an object and gives it a golden glow.
heliolatry – All my life, I’ve known people who loved the sun. But heliolatry goes a bit further than that; heliolatry is worship of the sun. I wonder, since Apollo is the sun god, do those who worship the sun also worship Apollo?
Heliotropism is the word used to describe sunflowers and other plants always turning toward the sun. Do you think these plants are worshiping the sun?
midnight sun in Norway, wikimedia commons
midnight sun – During the long cold winter months, especially when it gets dark late in the afternoon, one longs for the sun to appear and share its warming rays. There are several countries north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun still lights the sky at midnight; of course, these countries also experience the opposite for several months too. Anyway, when the sun shines during the nighttime, it is known as the midnight sun.
rizzar – Rizzar is a verb that comes to us from Scotland. It means “to dry or cure in the sun” and normally refers to meat or fish.
a field of sunflowers in Cardejón, Spain, wikipedia
turnsole – The Middle French word tournesol—the word turnsole comes from—means “turns toward the sun.” This describes many plants and flowers that are known as turnsoles. One of them is the sunflower.
Do you know of any more bright and sunny words that make you long for warmer weather?
Recommended Articles:
Yes, There’s a Word for That
Did You Know There’s a Word for That?
Yes, There’s a Word for That: Boanthropy & Other Unusual Words
Yes, There’s a Word for That: Kinclunk & Other Unusual Words
Snow By Any Other Name. . .
