December, the last month of the year. In the old Roman calendar, before the time of Julius Caesar, the year began with March, and that which is now the twelfth was then the tenth month; hence the name (decem, 'ten'). Our Saxon ancestors called it Mid-winter-month and Yule-month.
December
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 3: Catarrh to Dion, p. 722
Source scan(s): p. 0733