Dictionary

dog days en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈdɔɡ deɪz/ (General-American)
• /ˈdɒɡ deɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Calque of Latin diēs caniculārēs (“puppy days”), a calque of Ancient Greek κυνάδες ἡμέραι (kunádes hēmérai, “dog days”), from κυνάς (kunás, “of or related to dogs”), from Κῠ́ων (Kŭ́ōn, “the Dog”) in reference to the star Sirius, which appears in Homeric Greek as "Orion's dog". The return of Sirius to the night sky (its heliacal rising), occurring in antiquity around July 25 (Athens) or 29 (Rome), was considered by the Greeks and Romans to herald what were considered the hottest, least healthy, and least lucky days of summer.

Meanings

1. (archaic, plural, plural-normally) The days following the heliacal rising of Sirius, now in early August (Gregorian) at dates varying by latitude.
   • ... a sterre, wherof canicular or dogge days be named Dies caniculares. 1538, Thomas Elyot, “Canicula”, in The Dictionary of Syr Thomas Eliot:
   • Dog days bright and clear Indicate a good year; But when accompanied by rain, We hope for better times in vain. 1883, H.H.C. Dunwoody, "Proverbs Relating to Months, Weeks, and Days" in Weather Proverbs, Signal Service Notes, No. IX, p. 98
2. (plural, plural-normally) The unpleasantly hot days of late summer.
   • The dog days of August have often spelled trouble for the world economy. 2013 August 17, “A Rickety Rebound”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8849:
   • Why ſhould thoſe Eteſian and Eaſterne winds blow cōtinually in ſome places, at ſet times, one way ſtill, in the dog dayes only: heere perpetuall drought, there dropping ſhowres; [...] 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Ayre Rectified. With a Digression of the Ayre.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 2, member 3, page 214:
3. (plural, plural-normally) Any similar period of inactivity, laziness, or stagnation.
   • The two-cassette miniseries, produced by Oliver Stone, arrives in early August, in time to stir the dog days of summer rentals. 1993, Billboard, volume 105, number 24, page 62:

Forms

Synonyms

canicular days

Translations (47)

arc ܟܠܒܐ (the days between early July and early September) · it canicola (the days between early July and early September) · es canícula (unpleasantly hot days) · pl martwy sezon (period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation) · it solleone (the days between early July and early September) · pl kanikuła (the days between early July and early September) · bg горещници (the days between early July and early September) · it solleone (unpleasantly hot days) · hu kánikula (unpleasantly hot days) · ar أَيَّام الشِّعْرَى (the days between early July and early September) · ro caniculă (unpleasantly hot days) · pt Canícula (the days between early July and early September) · ga laethe madrúla (the days between early July and early September) · ca canícula (the days between early July and early September) · fo hundadagar (the days between early July and early September) · cmn 三伏天 (unpleasantly hot days) · tr eyyamıbahur (the days between early July and early September) · pl kanikuła (unpleasantly hot days) · ru зно́йные ле́тние дни (the days between early July and early September) · ka ყველაზე ცხელი დღეები (unpleasantly hot days) · ko 삼복 (the days between early July and early September) · ro caniculă (the days between early July and early September) · pt canícula (unpleasantly hot days) · nl hondsdagen (the days between early July and early September) · cmn 三伏 (the days between early July and early September) · ro arșiță (unpleasantly hot days) · es canícula (the days between early July and early September) · fi kissanpäivät (period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation) · cmn 大热天 (unpleasantly hot days) · ru мёртвый сезо́н (the days between early July and early September) · ja 真夏 (the days between early July and early September) · sv rötmånad (the days between early July and early September) · ca canícula (unpleasantly hot days) · el κυνικά καύματα (unpleasantly hot days) · ar سَمَائِم (unpleasantly hot days) · ka ზაფხულის ცხელი სეზონი (unpleasantly hot days) · fr canicule (the days between early July and early September) · fi mätäkuu (the days between early July and early September) · bg горещници (unpleasantly hot days) · nb hundedager (the days between early July and early September) · fa روزهای سگی (the days between early July and early September) · ru мёртвый сезо́н (period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation) · fr canicule (unpleasantly hot days) · ar الخَمَاسِين (the days between early July and early September) · de Hundstage (the days between early July and early September) · ka პაპანაქება (unpleasantly hot days) · da hundedage (the days between early July and early September)