dawn

¹

[ dawn ]

noun

1. the first appearance of daylight in the morning:

   Dawn broke over the valley.

   Synonyms: sunrise, daybreak

   Antonyms: sunset

2. the beginning or rise of anything; advent:

   the dawn of civilization.

verb (used without object)

1. to begin to grow light in the morning:

   The day dawned with a cloudless sky.

2. to begin to open or develop.
3. to begin to be perceived (usually followed by on ):

   The idea dawned on him.

   Synonyms: break, occur, appear

Dawn

²

[ dawn ]

noun

1. a female given name.

dawn

/ dɔːn /

noun

1. daybreak; sunrise auroral
2. the sky when light first appears in the morning
3. the beginning of something

verb

1. to begin to grow light after the night
2. to begin to develop, appear, or expand
3. usually foll byon or upon to begin to become apparent (to)

Derived Forms

• ˈdawnˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• dawnlike adjective
• un·dawned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dawn¹

First recorded before 1150; Middle English dawen (verb), Old English dagian, derivative of dæg day; akin to Old Norse daga, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dagen, Old High German tagēn

Word History and Origins

Origin of dawn¹

Old English dagian to dawn; see day

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with dawn , also see crack of dawn ; light dawned .

Example Sentences

The new album’s title may hint at sunshine and waking hours, but make no mistake, Yoakam is a night owl, a man for whom work begins around dusk and often stretches into dawn.

From Los Angeles Times

As Jensen used a window screen to sift the safe’s ashen contents for diamonds and stones, his wife Dawn DaMart wandered the blackened foundation searching for tokens of the couple’s life before the Mountain fire.

From Los Angeles Times

The book launch for Roberts’ “Dawn’s Early Light” was originally scheduled for release on Sept. 24 of this year.

From Salon

The dawn strike came without warning.

From BBC

The night is always supposedly darkest before the dawn — and activists are now staring at a black hole seemingly larger than what they faced in 1994.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dawning
• daybreak
• daylight
• morning