Winter sun means: The off-season holiday market, typically to destinations in North Africa and Southern Europe.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
winter sun
(UK, Ireland, travel) The off-season holiday market, typically to destinations in North Africa and Southern Europe.
Definitions
(UK, Ireland, travel) The off-season holiday market, typically to destinations in North Africa and Southern Europe.
a sickly winter sun.
Winter sun means: The off-season holiday market, typically to destinations in North Africa and Southern Europe.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
winter sun means: The off-season holiday market, typically to destinations in North Africa and Southern Europe.. Register: informal, Irish English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
“Winter sun, innit. Guaranteed beach weather between November and March, which is not the case in the Med.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Semantically related
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(countable, fashion) Someone with dark skin, eyes and hair, seen as best suited to certain colors of clothing.
- winter59%
Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or the months of December, January, and February in temperate and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the months of June, July, and August in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when the sun is lowest in the sky, resulting in short days, and the time of year with the lowest atmospheric temperatures for the region.
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(Australia, regional) The period of southern winter in the middle of the year, sometimes celebrated in the colder, snowy regions of Australia with allusions to Christmas, which originated as a marketing gimmick.
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(British English) A period in the summer when people go on holiday (vacation).
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(figuratively, poetic) The period of decay, old age, death, or the like.