# season

Pronunciation: say "SEE-zuhn" US /ˈsi.zn̩/, UK /ˈsiː.zn̩/, AUS /ˈsɪi.zən/

## Noun

1. A part of the year when a particular activity or event regularly takes place, or when a place is busiest, as in the holiday season, the cricket season, or the tourist season.
   - Simple: A time of year when something usually happens or a place is busiest, like the football season or the tourist season.
   - _The holiday season brings crowds to downtown shops._
   - _Football seasons bring fans together every year._
2. One of the four divisions of the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
   - Simple: One of the four parts of the year, such as spring or winter.
   - _The four seasons follow one another in a steady cycle._
   - _Spring is the season when most plants begin to grow._
3. A group of episodes of a television or radio program broadcast at regular intervals, usually one batch per year. *(Australia, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A set of TV or radio shows that come out over one part of the year.
   - _Critics praised the third season for its bold storytelling._
   - _Streaming platforms often release an entire season at once._
6. A period of time, often an indefinite one or one in someone's life marked by a particular feeling or situation.
   - Simple: A period of time, especially a part of someone's life with a particular feeling or situation.
   - _He described his twenties as a season of doubt and searching._
   - _The church encouraged her through a difficult season of grief._
8. A fixed period in an online multiplayer game during which new content (themes, rules, or modes) becomes available, sometimes replacing earlier content.
   - Simple: A set time in an online game when new content and rules become active.
   - _Each season resets the competitive rankings for all players._
   - _Developers teased the next season's storyline at the convention._

## Verb

4. To add flavor to food using salt, herbs, or spices.
   - Simple: To add salt, herbs, or spices to food to give it more taste.
   - _Chefs season the stew with fresh thyme and cracked pepper._
   - _He seasoned the steak generously before grilling._
5. To make a person or thing accustomed to particular conditions or work through experience, or to become mature, experienced, or adapted over time.
   - Simple: To make someone used to something through experience, or to become experienced or used to something over time.
   - _Tough campaigns season recruits faster than any training drill._
   - _Difficult cases seasoned the young lawyer over the years._
7. To make wood or another material dry and hard by letting its natural moisture escape, or (of wood) to become dry and hard in this way.
   - Simple: To dry wood slowly so it becomes hard and ready to use, or (of wood) to dry out like this.
   - _Coopers season the staves before assembling each barrel._
   - _Workers seasoned the planks under cover to prevent cracking._
9. To moderate, temper, or qualify something by mixing in an element of another kind.
   - Simple: To soften or change something by mixing in a little of another thing.
   - _The judge seasoned justice with mercy when sentencing the young offender._
   - _Good leaders season their authority with patience and tact._

## Noun

10. Something that adds flavor or relish to food; a seasoning. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Something added to food to give it flavor.

## Verb

11. To impregnate something thoroughly, in either a literal or a figurative sense. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To fill or soak something all the way through with another thing.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The complete set of downloadable add-on content for a video game, available for purchase with a season pass.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–3, 5–11** — From Middle English sesoun, from Old French seson ("time of sowing"), from Latin satiō ("act of sowing or planting"), ultimately from a root meaning "to sow, plant." It is related to Old English sāwan ("to sow") and sǣd ("seed").
**Meaning 4** — From French assaisonner.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/season (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).