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If you want to sound sophisticated this spring, you can do what various learned individuals have done since the 16th century and refer to the spring equinox as the vernal equinox. You might also alter a classic rhyme to chant "Vernal showers bring May flowers." Or if you really want to wax poetic, you could compliment your lass's vernal grace or your beau's vernal charm. If you do, and your sweetheart asks where such a word comes from, you can further impress by saying, "'Vernal,' my dear, comes from the Latin 'vernalis,' which is derived from the Latin word for spring, 'ver.'"
Examples of vernal in a Sentence
Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
The date is different every year and falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, also called the Paschal Full Moon.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT marked the vernal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun was directly over the equator and its energy was in balance between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, according to the National Weather Service.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
According to Time, Nowruz is celebrated on the vernal equinox, or the spring equinox.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
Here's everything to know about the start of spring and the vernal equinox.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
What is the difference between spring equinox and vernal equinox?
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024
In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal, or spring equinox is March 19, marking the start of the spring season.
—USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
This month’s vernal equinox—when the length of the day and night are the same everywhere in the world—creates the cosmic conditions for more intense and frequent northern lights (aurora borealis).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vernal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vernal
Cite this Entry
“Vernal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vernal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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vernal
adjective
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