relating to or characteristic of winter; wintry or occurring during the winter season.
From Latin 'hibernalis,' derived from 'hibernus' (of winter), which comes from 'hiems' (winter); the word has been used in English since the 16th century, particularly in poetic and formal contexts.
Hibernal is winter's formal older cousin—while 'wintry' is casual and common, 'hibernal' sounds like it stepped out of a Victorian poem, which is exactly where it often appears!
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