{"word":"dog days","date":"2026-07-21","partOfSpeech":null,"pronunciation":"DAWG-DAYZ","definition":"the hottest time of the year","example":"Spending the day at a swimming hole has always been the perfect relief for the dog days of summer.","etymology":"The term dog days originated from ancient Greek and Roman astrology, referring to the period when the star Sirius, called the Dog Star, rose in the sky, supposedly causing hot and humid weather, with the phrase first used in English around 1530. The term is derived from the Greek word for Sirius, \"Sothis\", and Latin \"canicula\", meaning little dog.","source":"merriam-webster","sourceUrl":"https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/dog days-2026-07-21","fetchedAt":"2026-07-21T20:04:24.065Z","cached":true}