autumn

Everyday

1. Autumn is the season between summer and winter, when leaves change colour and fall and days get shorter and cooler. tree →
2. In American English it is mostly called fall. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on seasons, autumn is when many trees lose their leaves, animals store food or prepare to hibernate, and birds migrate. In the Northern Hemisphere (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada) autumn is September to November; in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand) it is March to May. In school, autumn term is the first term in the UK. Phrases: in autumn, autumn leaves, autumn term, autumn colours.

Examples

• In autumn the leaves turn red and gold. tree →
• Squirrels bury nuts in autumn. tree →
• We collected conkers in autumn. tree →
• The autumn term starts in September. tree →
• Days get shorter in autumn. tree →
• In Australia, autumn comes in March. tree →
• Hedgehogs get ready to hibernate in autumn. tree →
• I love jumping in piles of autumn leaves. tree →
• It was growing late in the autumn. tree →

Note

Silent n at the end: au-tumn («AW-tum»), but you hear it in autumnal. No capital letter: autumn, not Autumn (unless starting a sentence). American English says «fall». The seasons are opposite in the two hemispheres.