Dawn

//dɔːn// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A female given name from English sometimes given to a girl born at that time of day.

    ""Thomas, if it's a boy," she said, "after my uncle. But if it's a girl I'd like something fancy for a first name." "What about Dawn?" she said. "I like the sound of Dawn. Then Mary for a second name. Dawn Mary Parker, it sounds sweet.""

Noun
  1. 1
    The morning twilight period immediately before sunrise. uncountable
  2. 2
    the earliest period wordnet
  3. 3
    The rising of the sun. countable

    "Every act of a Roman, from birth to death, from dawn to night, was controlled and supervised by some presiding deity."

  4. 4
    the first light of day wordnet
  5. 5
    The time when the sun rises. uncountable

    "She rose before dawn to meet the train."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    an opening time period wordnet
  2. 7
    The earliest phase of something. uncountable

    "The dawn of civilization didn't imply twilight of barbarity."

Verb
  1. 1
    To begin to brighten with daylight. intransitive

    "A new day dawns."

  2. 2
    become light wordnet
  3. 3
    To start to appear or become obvious. figuratively, intransitive

    "I don’t want to be there when the truth dawns on him."

  4. 4
    become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions wordnet
  5. 5
    To begin to give promise; to begin to appear or to expand. figuratively, intransitive

    "when life awakes, and dawns at every line"

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    appear or develop wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English dawnen, either a back-formation from dawnynge or a modification of dawen (“to dawn”) after it. The noun is from the verb.

Etymology 2

From Middle English dawnen, either a back-formation from dawnynge or a modification of dawen (“to dawn”) after it. The noun is from the verb.

Etymology 3

From dawn.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: dawn