dawn

dawn¹ [do:n US do:n] n [U and C]

[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: daw 'to dawn' (10-19 centuries), from Old English dagian; related to day]

1.) the time at the beginning of the day when light first appears

= ↑daybreak

→↑dusk at dawn

▪ The first boats set off at dawn.

▪ When dawn broke (=the first light of the day appeared) , we were still 50 miles from Calcutta.

▪ I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane.

▪ We worked from dawn to dusk (=through the whole day while it is light) .

▪ the cold light of dawn

2.) the dawn of civilization/time etc

the time when something began or first appeared

▪ People have been falling in love since the dawn of time.

3.) a false dawn

something that seems positive or hopeful but really is not

▪ There was talk of share prices recovering, but that was just a false dawn.

dawn ²

dawn² v

1.) if day or morning dawns, it begins

▪ The morning dawned fresh and clear after the storm.

2.) [i]literary if a period of time or situation dawns, it begins

▪ The age of Darwin had dawned.

3.) formal if a feeling or idea dawns, you have it for the first time

▪ It began to dawn that something was wrong.

dawn on [dawn on sb] phr v

if a fact dawns on you, you realize it for the first time

▪ Then the ghastly truth dawned on me.

▪ It dawned on me that Joanna had been right all along.