February is the second and shortest month, of 28 days or 29 in a leap year. In February, late February, February the first.
It has 28 days because the Roman calendar left it as the remainder, and the leap day is added to it for the same reason. It carries Valentine's Day, and in Britain a reputation for being the longest short month there is. The first r is very widely dropped in speech, which is one of the commonest pronunciation arguments in English. Note Februarys or Februaries as the plural, both rare.
1nounfebruaryThe second and shortest month of the year.
“Valentine's Day falls on the fourteenth of February.”
february is a month.
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰegʷʰ-
Latin
Februārius
Middle English
Februarie
English
February
English, today
february
Built from
February comes from Middle English Februarie, from Latin Februārius. From Middle English Februarie, februari, februare, from Latin Februārius (“the month of the Februa”), from Februa (“the Purgings, the Purifications”), a Roman holiday two days after its ides (i.e., Feb. 15), + -arius (“-ary: forming adjectives”). Februa from februum (“purging”), from an earlier sbv word, possibly from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”) and thus cognate with thio- (“sulfurous”) and Ancient Greek θεῖον (“sulfur”) or from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰris, an extension of the root dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”) and thus cognate with fever and febris. A relatinization abandoning Middle English feoverel, from Old French feverier, which itself displaced Old English solmōnaþ (“mud month”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA