seedtime

English

Etymology

From seed +‎ time; compare Old Icelandic sáðtími. Compare also German Saatzeit "season for sowing seed" (15th cent. as satzijt), Old Icelandic sáðtíð "April", lit. "seed time".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsiːdˌtaɪm/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Noun

seedtime (countable and uncountable, plural seedtimes)

1. The time to sow seeds.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Seed time and Harvest, Heat and hoary Frost
     Shall hold thir course

2. (figurative) A time for new development.

Alternative forms

• seed-time

Translations

the time to sow seeds

• Finnish: kylvöaika
• Irish: aimsir an tsíl f