| Avernian | { } a. Of or pertaining to Avernus, a lake of Campania, in Italy, famous for its poisonous vapors, which ancient writers fancied were so malignant as to kill birds flying over it. It was represented by the poets to be connected with the infernal regions. [ 1913 Webster ] Variants: Avernal |
| vernal | a. [ L. vernalis, fr. vernus vernal, ver spring; akin to Gr. 'e`ar, Skr. vasanta, Icel. vār, and E. Easter, east. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom. [ 1913 Webster ] And purple all the ground with vernal flowers. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life. [ 1913 Webster ] When after the long vernal day of life. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ] And seems it hard thy vernal years
Few vernal joys can show? Keble. [ 1913 Webster ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Vernal equinox (Astron.), the point of time in each year when the sun crosses the equator when proceeding northward, about March 21, when day and night are of approximately equal duration. The beginning of the Spring season. --
Vernal grass (Bot.), a low, soft grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), producing in the spring narrow spikelike panicles, and noted for the delicious fragrance which it gives to new-mown hay; -- also called sweet vernal grass. See Illust. in Appendix. --
Vernal signs (Astron.), the signs, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, in which the sun appears between the vernal equinox and summer solstice. [ 1913 Webster ]
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