Canicular

a. (sb.) Also 5 cani-, canyculere, 6 canycular, canikeler, caniculare, Sc. -lair, 6–7 caniculer. [ad. L. canīculār-is pertaining to the dog-star, f. canīcula little dog, dog-star, dim. of canis dog. Cf. F. caniculaire.]

  A.  adj.

  1.  Canicular days: the days immediately preceding and following the heliacal (in modern times, according to some, the cosmical) rising of the dog-star (either Sirius or Procyon), which is about the 11th of August; the DOG-DAYS, q.v.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IX. xv. 356. In the mydle of the monthe Iulius the Canicular dayes begyn.

1502.  Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 172. The Canycular daies begynne y^e xv. kalendas of August and endure to the iiij. nonas of Septembre.

1527.  Andrew, Brunswyke’s Distyll. Waters, B vj b. In the canikeler dayes whan the leves begynne to fall.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 19. All the time of the canicular daies they [dogs] are most ready to run mad.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 225. Some latitudes have no canicular dayes … as … Nova Zembla … for unto that habitation the Dogge-starre is invisible.

1657.  S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 132. The extraordinary heat of the Sun … in the Canicular dayes.

1753.  Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Canicular days are computed by Harris to extend from the 24th of July to the 28th of August.

1756.  C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 158. In the canicular days or other hot weather.

  2.  Of or pertaining to the dog-days.

1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 95. In Julie, before the Caniculer windes.

1594.  Greene, Look. Glasse (1861), 144. The sun … Afflicts me with canicular aspect.

1710.  T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 243. The Canicular Habit of the Body.

1847.  Disraeli, Tancred, III. iii. The canicular heat of Jerusalem.

  3.  Canicular cycle or period: the ancient Egyptian cycle of 1461 years of 365 days each, or 1460 Julian years, also called the Sothic or Sothiac period; in which time (as was supposed) any given day of the year of 365 days would have passed successively through all the seasons of the natural year (taken as = 365¹/₄ days). Canicular year: the ancient Egyptian year, computed from one heliacal rising of Sirius to the next.

1662.  Stanley, Hist. Chald. Philos., 3. A canicular Cycle which consists of 1461 years (and are 1460 natural years).

1662.  Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. vi. § 1. 89.

1837.  Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857), I. 98. This period of 1461 years is called the Sothic Period, from Sothis, the name of the Dog-star, by which their fixed year was determined, and for the same reason it is called the Canicular Period.

  4.  humorously. Pertaining to a dog.

1592.  G. Harvey, Four Lett., 7. If mother Hubbard … Happen to tell one canicular tale; father Elderton … will counterfeit an hundred dogged Fables.

1833.  Lamb, Elia (1860), 425. Content with these canicular probations.

  B.  sb.

  † 5.  The dog-star; (pl.) the dog-days. Obs.

c. 1420.  Pallad. on Husb., VIII. 13. Er the Caniculere the hounde ascende.

1430.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, V. xxxvi. At goyng out of the Canyculeres.

1727.  McUre, Hist. Glasgow, 119. Scorching heats of the Canicular.

  6.  humorously. (pl.) Doggrel verses.

1872.  De Morgan, Paradoxes, 207. Some caniculars or doggrel verses.