‘Paul Anthony Jones introduces a long-lost winter vocabulary to warm the coldest of hearts’ Country Life

As the nights draw in and the cold descends, the winter world emerges – and with it an incredible array of words that superbly capture the season.

From frost-dogs (tiny frozen particles of falling snow) and Stepmother’s breath (a sudden cold snap) to hibernaculum (a winter refuge during the winter months) and crapulent (feeling the aftereffects of overindulgence), Paul Anthony Jones delves into the origins of these rare, fascinating and forgotten words, opening up a whole new way of describing the winter months.

Whether you’re keeping cosy in front of the fire, warding off the winter blues or throwing yourself into the party season, A Winter Dictionary is the perfect way to while away the snow-laden days.

‘Every word you might ever need to describe the chibbly (crisp with frost) days of the colder months’ Country Walking

‘Paul Anthony Jones introduces a long-lost winter vocabulary to warm the coldest of hearts’ Country Life

‘Every word you might ever need to describe the chibbly (crisp with frost) days of the colder months’ Country Walking

 Reader reviews:

‘A delightful and charming exploration of the English language’

‘Paul Anthony Jones's A Winter Dictionary is a treasure trove for language-lovers’

‘This isn’t your typical dictionary; it’s a delightful dive into the rich vocabulary that beautifully encapsulates the winter season’

‘I loved diving into this winter wonderland of words’

‘The word nerd in me was so ecstatic to read this book’

Paul Anthony Jones is the author of several books on trivia and language including The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities, The Accidental Dictionary, Word Drops, The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer, Haggard Hawks & Paltry Poltroons and its sequel, Jedburgh Justice & Kentish Fire. He appears regularly in the Telegraph online, BBC Radio 4's World at One, Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post and Mental Floss, and has contributed to the Guardian, Independent and Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries online. He also runs @HaggardHawks, the hugely popular language-based Twitter account and YouTube channel. He lives in Newcastle upon Tyne.