Season
SE'ASON. noun se'zn.Season literally signifies that which comes or arrives; and in this general sense, is synonymous with time. Hence,
1. A fit or suitable time; the convenient time; the usual or appointed time; as, the messenger arrived in season; in good season. This fruit is out of season.
2. Any time, as distinguished from others.
The season prime for sweetest scents and airs. Milton.
3. A time of some continuance, but not long.
Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. Acts 13:11.
4. One of the four divisions of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter. The season is mild; it is cold for the season.
We saw in six days' traveling, the several seasons of the year n their beauty.
Addison.
We distinguish the season by prefixing its appropriate name, as the spring-season, summer-seacon, etc.
To be in season, to be in good time, or sufficiently early for the prupose.
To be out of season, to be too late, beyoun the proper time, or beyond the
usually appointed time.
From the sense of convenience, is derived the following.
5. That which matures or prepares for the taste; that which gives a relish.
You lack the season of all nature, sleep. Shak.
But in this sense, we now use seasoning.
SE'ASON, verb transitive
1. To render palatable, or to give a higher relish to, by the addition or mixture of another substance more pungent or pleasant; as, to season meat with salt; to season any thing with spices. Leviticus 2:13.
2. To render more agreeable, pleasant or delightful; to give relish or zest to by something that excites, animates or exhilarates.
You season still with sports your serious hours. Dryden.
The proper use of wit is to season conversation. Tillotson.
3. To render more agreeable, or less rigorous and severe; to temper; to moderate; to qualify by admixture.
When mercy seasons justice. Shak.
4. To imbue; to tinge or taint.
Season their younger years with prudent and pious principles. Taylor.
5. To fit any use by time or habit; to mature; to prepare.
Who in want a hollow friend doth try, Directly seasons him an enemy. Shak.
6. To prepare for use by drying or hardening; to take out or suffer to escape the natural juices; as, to season timber.
7. To prepare or mature for a climate; to accustom to and enable to endure; as, to season the body to a particular climate. Long residence in the West Indies, or a fever, may season strangers.
SE'ASON, verb intransitive
1. To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate, as the human body.
2. To become dry and hard by the escape of natural juices, or by being penetrated with other substances. Timber seasons well under cover in the air, and ship timber seasons in salt water.
3. To betoken; to savor.