summer

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary

n. the best, happiest, or most successful time in someone's life.

n. the period of highest development, perfection, or prosperity; a figurative golden age.

“In the summer of her career, she was the most famous actress alive.”

“Historians often refer to that decade as the brief summer of the empire before its eventual decline.”

C2 · Proficiency Plural noun Literary · Humorous

n. a way to count a person's age by years, usually for a young person.

n. a synecdoche where 'summer' represents a full year, typically used to denote the age of a youth.

“The young prince was only ten summers old when he took the throne.”

“The poet described the maiden as having seen only eighteen summers, emphasizing her fleeting youth.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Architecture Technical

n. a large, main beam that supports other beams in a building.

n. a heavy horizontal timber or girder serving as a main support for floor joists or a superstructure.

“The old barn was held up by a massive oak summer.”

“During the renovation, the architect insisted on reinforcing the original summer to ensure the structural integrity of the floor above.”