Definition

Noun: 1. The tenth month of the French Republican Calendar: Messidor was a month in the historical calendar created during the French Revolution. It corresponded roughly to the period between mid-June and mid-July in the Gregorian calendar. 2. The month of harvest: The name "Messidor" is derived from the Latin "messis," meaning "harvest," reflecting its position in the agricultural year as a time for reaping crops.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The law was passed in the second year of the Republic, during Messidor.
  • Farmers were busy throughout Messidor, the month of harvest.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term is almost exclusively used in historical discussions about the French Revolutionary period (c. 1793-1805). It is not used in contemporary calendars.
  • The Thermidorian Reaction took place in Messidor of Year II.

Variants and Related Words

• French Republican Calendar / Revolutionary Calendar: The calendar system of which Messidor was a part.
• Thermidor, Fructidor, Vendémiaire: Other months in the same calendar system.

Synonyms

• Harvest month (descriptive synonym based on meaning, not a direct calendar equivalent).

Related Phrases

• The month of Messidor: The standard phrase for referring to this period.
  • The festival was scheduled for the month of Messidor.

Noun

1. tenth month of the Revolutionary calendar (June and July); the month of harvest