expression, ichidan verb
to summer; to go away for the summer
Rare literary expression meaning to leave one's usual residence to spend the summer elsewhere, often to escape the heat. Modern Japanese more commonly uses 避暑する or 夏を過ごす.
昔の貴族は、夏になると涼しい土地へ暑を避けた。
In the past, nobles would go away for the summer to cooler regions.
避暑 is the modern common term for summering or escaping the heat, used as a noun or in 避暑する. 暑を避ける is a rare literary equivalent.
A classical Chinese-style construction combining 暑 (heat/summer) with を避ける (to avoid). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a pattern of literary Sino-Japanese phrases.