dusk

¹

[ duhsk ]

noun

1. the state or period of partial darkness between day and night; the dark part of twilight.
2. partial darkness; shade; gloom:

   She was barely visible in the dusk of the room.

dusk

²

[ duhsk ]

adjective

1. tending to darkness; dark.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become dusk; darken.

dusk

/ dʌsk /

noun

1. twilight or the darker part of twilight
2. poetic.
   gloom; shade

adjective

1. poetic.
   shady; gloomy

verb

1. poetic.
   to make or become dark

Other Words From

• duskish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dusk¹

First recorded in 1615–25; back formation from dusky

Origin of dusk²

before 1000; Middle English duske (adj.), dusken (v.); metathetic alteration of Old English dox dusky, doxian to turn dark; cognate with L. fuscus dark

Word History and Origins

Origin of dusk¹

Old English dox; related to Old Saxon dosan brown, Old High German tusin yellow, Norwegian dusmen misty, Latin fuscus dark brown

Example Sentences

Everyplace, here in the eastern Coachella Valley, looked gorgeous … for 20 minutes at dusk.

From ProPublica

So if you have an unobstructed view to the west, you can catch Mars, the moon, Mercury and Venus lined up vertically in the dusk for the next two nights.

From Washington Post

She grew more restless around dusk, knowing it was dawn back home, and that her WeChat messages could light up any minute with bad news.

From Washington Post

From midmorning to dusk people cluster around the fire pits outside the lodge, eating, drinking and laughing.

From Washington Post

The civil dusk of an old year and era merges and moves through night into the civil dawn of a new one.

From Outside Online

If Blake is to make his escape at dusk, what time does the sun set?

From The Daily Beast

Around them, Kansas City glowed in the midsummer dusk; ahead of them glimmered the future.

From The Daily Beast

With dusk approaching, the massive crowd marched north on Florissant.

From The Daily Beast

As dusk approaches, a fog creeps up the slope of the mountain and swallows the sprawling city below—just like Pablo promised.

From The Daily Beast

The town center was still clear of Ukrainian security forces at dusk.

From The Daily Beast

The handkerchief glimmered on the counter, more white than anything else in that grey dusk.

From Project Gutenberg

"I shall like it," answered Hugh, glad that his face should be hidden by the dusk, in these moments of waiting.

From Project Gutenberg

His chin, thrust slightly forward in a manner almost aggressive, showed the dusk of close-shaven hair.

From Project Gutenberg

And she thanked Heaven that in the dusk and in the shadow where she stood he could but ill make out her face.

From Project Gutenberg

The revelation was made soon after tea, when she sidled close up to him as they paced slowly along the sea-front in the dusk.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• nightfall
• sundown
• sunset
• twilight