dog days
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dog days
- /ˈdɒɡ deɪz/ UK
- /ˈdɔɡ deɪz/ US
Where it comes from
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.
noun dog day
-
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.
Similar: canicular days
- The unpleasantly hot days of late summer. 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; [...]
- 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.
Translations
Every language
noun the days between early July and early September
| Español | canícula |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 삼복 sambok |
| 日本語 | 真夏 manatsu |
| 中文 | 三伏 sānfú |
| Português | Canícula |
| Français | canicule |
| Deutsch | Hundstage |
| Italiano | canicola, solleone |
| Română | caniculă |
| Русский | мёртвый сезо́н mjórtvyj sezón, зно́йные ле́тние дни znójnyje létnije dni |
| العربية | أَيَّام الشِّعْرَى ʔayyām aš-šiʕrā, الخَمَاسِين al-ḵamāsīn |
noun unpleasantly hot days
| Español | canícula |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 三伏天 sānfútiān, 大热天 |
| Português | canícula |
| Français | canicule |
| Italiano | solleone |
| Ελληνικά | κυνικά καύματα kyniká kávmata |
| Română | caniculă, arșiță |
| العربية | سَمَائِم samāʔim |
noun period of inactivity, laziness or stagnation
| Русский | мёртвый сезо́н mjórtvyj sezón |
|---|
Talk about this word "dog days." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dog%20days. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dog days. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20days "dog days." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20days.Cite this
@misc{dog_days_2026,
title = {dog days},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20days},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
