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Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom.

Of or pertaining to Avernus, a lake of Campania, in Italy, famous for its poisonous vapors, which ancient writers fancied were so malignant as to kill birds flying over it. It was represented by the poets to be connected with the infernal regions.

Management; mastery. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

Air in motion; a light breeze; a gentle wind. Let vernal airs through trembling osiers play. Pope.

A North American fish (Clupea vernalis) of the Herring family. It is called also ellwife, ellwhop, branch herring. The name is locally applied to other related species.

of mountains in Europe, containing the lofty mountains of Switzerland, etc. Nor breath of vernal air from snowy alp. Milton. Hills peep o'er hills, and alps on alps arise. Pope.

The Ram; the first of the twelve signs in the zodiac, which the sun enters at the vernal equinox, about the 21st of March.

of blossoming or of having the flowers open; as, the cherry trees are in bloom. "Sight of vernal bloom." Milton.

A species of figwort or Scrophularia (S. vernalis), and other species of the same genus, mostly perennials with inconspicuous coarse flowers.

her, etc. The elder shall serve the younger. Gen. xxv. 23. But ask of elder days, earth's vernal hour. Keble. Elder hand (Card Playing), the hand playing, or having the right to play, first. Hoyle.

ial time (Astron.) reckoned in any year from the instant when the mean sun is at the mean vernal equinoctial point.

f the equinoctial points, that is, about March 21 and September 22. See Autumnal equinox, Vernal equinox, under Autumnal and Vernal. When descends on the Atlantic The gigantic Stormwind of the equinox. Longfellow.

To come; to occur; to arrive. The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten days sooner. Holder.

st of hay. North. Phleum pratense. Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. Holcus lanatus. Vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn. Anthoxanthum odoratum. Wire grass, valuable in pastures. Poa compressa. Wood grass, Indian grass, hay. Chrysopogon nutans.

Med.), chlorosis. -- Green snake (Zoöl.), one of two harmless American snakes (Cyclophis vernalis, and C. æstivus). They are bright green in color. -- Green turtle (Zoöl.), an edible marine turtle. See Turtle. -- Green vitriol. (a) (Chem.) Sulphate of iron; a light green crystalline substance, very extensively used…

The distance in degrees, reckoned from the vernal equinox, on the ecliptic, to a circle at right angles to the ecliptic passing through the heavenly body whose longitude is designated; as, the longitude of Capella is 79º. Geocentric longitude (Astron.), the longitude of a heavenly body as seen from the earth. -- Helio…

A northen constellation near the vernal equinoctial point. Its three brightest stars, with the brightest star of Andromeda, form the square of Pegasus.

A zodiacal constellation, including the first point of Aries, which is the vernal equinoctial point; the Fish.

al days, or, taking the sidereal day as the unit, the time elapsed since a transit of the vernal equinox, reckoned in parts of a sidereal day. This is, strictly, apparent sidereal time, mean sidereal time being reckoned from the transit, not of the true, but of the mean, equinoctial point.

The season of the year when plants begin to vegetate and grow; the vernal season, usually comprehending the months of March, April, and May, in the middle latitudes north of the equator. "The green lap of the new-come spring." Shak.