# summer

/ˈsəmɝ/ (US) · /sˈʌmɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/summer
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the season

noun · CEFR A1

the warmest season of the year, coming between spring and autumn.

For teachers: the warmest of the four temperate seasons, occurring between the spring equinox and the autumnal equinox.

- We spent every day at the beach during the hot summer break.
- The region experiences significant thermal lag, meaning the highest temperatures often occur well after the summer solstice.

### 2. a golden age

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. years of age

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Humorous

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. a support beam

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- We usually go to the beach in the summer.
- The city feels much quieter during the summer when most of the students go home for the break.
- The golden light of late summer often creates a nostalgic atmosphere that poets and painters have tried to capture for centuries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.