ice saints

English

Etymology

Perhaps a calque of German Eisheilige; compare French saints de glace.

Noun

ice saints pl (normally plural, singular ice saint)

  1. (sometimes capitalized) The saints Pancras of Rome, Servatius of Tongeren, Mamertus of Vienne and/or SBoniface of Tarsus, and sometimes Sophia of Rome, whose feast days are on May 11th though 15th.
  2. A spell of cold weather in May on or around those dates. (Compare blackthorn winter, blackberry winter.)
    • For quotations using this term, see Citations:ice saints.
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