blackthorn winter
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The cold weather which frequently occurs when the blackthorn is in blossom. See ICE-SAINTS.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “blackthorn winter” mean?
The cold weather which frequently occurs when the blackthorn is in blossom. See ICE-SAINTS.
Is “blackthorn winter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.