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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
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
The odds also tend to increase around equinoxes — the vernal equinox occurred last week — due to a more favorable tilt in the Earth’s axis, Murtagh said.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
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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.
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“Vernal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vernal. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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vernal
adjective
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