Emily Dickinson Lexicon

august (August), adj. [L. augustus < augur, consecrated by augury, auspicious.] (webplay: days, reverence, separating).

1. Venerable; majestic; stately; inspiring reverence; impressing the imagination as magnificent.
2. Late summer; pertaining to the eighth month of the year.

August, n. [OFr < L.; see august, adj.] (webplay: grace, gradually, March, nature, year).

Eighth month of the calendar year; time period of thirty-one days in New England's late summer; [word play] NW says: “AUGUSTINIANS … maintain that grace is effectual from its nature, absolutely … not gradually.”

Augustan, adj. [see august, adj.] (webplay: year).

Peaceful; calm; classical; dignified; like the relatively pacific reign of Caesar Augustus; pertaining to the 1530 Protestant principles that Martin Luther wrote in Augusta or Augsburg.

aurora, n. [L. 'goddess of the dawn, orient'.] (webplay: day, fingers, light, morn, morning, raise, red, rising).

1. Dawn; sunrise; enlightenment; period of first light; rising light that marks the beginning of a new twenty-four hour period; [fig.] resurrection; restoration; new life; rebirth having a body of light and perfection.
2. Ranunculus; buttercup; floral plant; species of crowfoot; [fig.] early life; maidenhood; young womanhood.

auroral, adj. [see aurora, n.] (webplay: light, morning, night).

1. Dawn-like; illuminating; enlightening; rich orange colored; early morning glow.
2. Lumen borealis; northern twilight; pertaining to wavy streams of color above the winter horizon.

auroran, adj. [ED var. of “aurorean”; see aurora, n.] (webplay: color, night).

Borealis; pertaining to the northern lights; or, light of the dawn.

auspiciously, adv. [L. aví-s, bird + specěre, behold, observe.]

Fortunately; happily; luckily; successfully; with favorable result; with good omen.

austere (-r), adj. [OFr < L. < Gk 'making the tongue dry and rough'.]

1. Bleak; stark; bare; frugal; temperate; abstemious; [fig.] cold; deathly.
2. Severe; strict; abstinent; self-disciplined; restrained; stringently moral.

austere, adv. [see austere, adj.] (webplay: south).

Coolly; coldly; [fig.] gravely; seriously; soberly; [word play; see Webster's “auster, n. The south wind”] into winter; to the south.

austerity, n. [see austere, adj.] (webplay: south wind; wine).

Asceticism; rigor; harsh discipline; severity of life; monastic mortification; lack of luxury; [fig.] sour taste; dry-flavored drink.