false dawn

noun

1. zodiacal light occurring before sunrise.

false dawn

noun

1. zodiacal light appearing just before sunrise

Word History and Origins

Origin of false dawn¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

But will this be another false dawn for power-sharing?

From BBC

Will the arrival into Major League Soccer of Messi, regarded by many as the greatest player in the history of the game, finally burn an indelible brand into America's sports-mad psyche and establish its place alongside team sports like American football, basketball or baseball, or will it turn out to be another false dawn?

From BBC

They went down 4-1 at City last season when Mohamed Salah's early opener on April 1 proved to be a false dawn for the visitors.

From BBC

The question now is whether this represents a false dawn on inflation, or the start of a durable decline in rising costs — and interest rates.

From New York Times

But Chamisa’s portrayal of a highly repressive political landscape in the southern African nation — where the removal of autocrat Robert Mugabe in 2017 appears to have been a false dawn — is backed by reports released by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch ahead of the presidential, parliamentary and local government votes in three weeks.

From Seattle Times