February
(ˈfɛbruːərɪ)
Forms: 3 feoverel, -rer, 3–5 fever(r)er, -yer(e, (3 -ȝeer), 4–5 feverȝere, (5 Sc. feveryher), 4–6 feverel(l(e, (4 -yl), 4–7 februar, (9 Sc. febewar), 4 februari, 6–7 februarie, (6 febrewary), 7–8 februeer, (7 -ere), 4– February. Also abbrev. Feb.
[ME. feverer, ad. OF. feverier, = Pr. febrier, Cat. febrer, Sp. febrero, Pg. fevereiro, It. febbraio:—popular L. *febrārius, L. februārius, f. februa pl. (februum sing. a word of Sabine origin signifying purification), the Roman festival of purification, held on the 15th of this month. The ME. form feverel appears to be of Eng. origin, the dissimilation being parallel to that in laurel from laurer. It is noteworthy that Welsh has the form chwefrawl, -ol (the L. type of which would be *februālis), beside chwefrawr, -or repr. L. februārius. The later forms are taken directly from Lat. or refashioned after Lat.]
1. The second month of the year, containing twenty-eight days, except in bissextile or leap year, when it has twenty-nine.
| [a 1000 Menologium (Gr.) 18 Swylce emb feower wucan þætte solmonað siᵹeð to tune, butan twam nihtum; swa hit ᵹetealdon ᵹeo, Februarius fær, frode ᵹesiþas.] a 1225 Juliana 78 Oþe sixtenðe dei of feouereles moneð. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8238 In þe monþe of feuerer. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ix. x. (1495) 354 Olde errour of nacyons..halowed..February to the nether goddes. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7099 Of feuerȝere þe fift kalend. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 1 In Feuerȝher befell the sammyn cace, That Inglismen tuk trewis with Wallace. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. H iij, S. Matthias day y{supt} 24 of februar. a 1660 Wharton Disc. Years, etc. Wks. (1683) 83 February à Februo, that is to sacrifice, because then the Romans sacrificed to Pluto..for the Souls of their Ancestors. 1745 tr. Columella's Husb. 464 The xx of February Leo (the Lion) ceases to set. a 1810 Tannahill Feberwar Poet. Wks. (1846) 157 Thou cauld gloomy Feberwar, O gin thou wert awa'. 1867 O. W. Holmes Old Vol. of Life (1891) 135 A warm day in February is a dream of April. |
b. personified.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ix. x. (1495) 355 Februari is paynted as an olde man sittynge by the fyre. 1821 Shelley Dirge for Year Poems (1891) 568/2 February bears the bier. 1863 R. Chambers Bk. of Days I. 202 February comes in like a sturdy maiden, with a tinge of the red hard winter apple on her hardy cheek. |
2. Proverbs. February fill-dike: a popular appellation indicating the prevalence of either rain or snow in this month.
| 1557 Tusser 100 Points Husb. cii, Feuerell fill dyke, doth good with his snowe. 1573 ― Husb. xxxvii. (1878) 87 Feb, fill the dyke With what thou dost like. 1633 B. Jonson Tale Tub i. i, Februere Doth cut and shear. 1670 Ray Prov. 40 All the moneths in the year curse a fair Februeer. Ibid., February fill dike, Be it black or be it white, But if it be white, It's the better to like. 1787 Best Angling 165 The Welchman had rather see his dam on the bier, Than see a fair Februeer. 1889 Allan Weather Wisdom 15 If in February there be no rain, 'Tis neither good for hay nor grain. |
3. attrib.; February red, a kind of fly.
| 1599 Shakes. Much Ado v. iv. 41 What's the matter? That you haue such a Februarie face. 1867 F. Francis Angling vi. (1880) 200 The February red..belongs to the Perlideæ. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. (1890) 422/2 Late February days. |