Meriggiare
Etymology
Italian, from "meriggio" (midday), ultimately from Latin "meridies." It was made famous by Eugenio Montale’s poem "Meriggiare pallido e assorto," fixing the word to an image of drowsy, sun-struck stillness.
verb · /meh-reed-JAH-reh/
To rest in the shade during the hottest part of the day, escaping the midday sun.
What it names
A specific Mediterranean pause — the sheltering noon rest — as a single unhurried verb.
Example
In August the whole village seems to meriggiare, shutters half-closed until the heat breaks.
Related idea
It is a close relative of the siesta, but where a siesta is a nap defined by sleep, meriggiare is about seeking shade and stillness, whether or not you actually doze.
See also