dusk

¹ American  

[duhsk] / dʌsk /

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.

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dusk ² American  

[duhsk] / dʌsk /

adjective

1. tending to darkness; dark.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become dusk; darken.

dusk British  

/ dʌsk /

noun

1. twilight or the darker part of twilight

2. poetic gloom; shade

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adjective

1. poetic shady; gloomy

verb

1. poetic to make or become dark

Other Word Forms

• duskish adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Although it was only 4:00 in the afternoon, the lights in the shops were coming on against the January dusk.

From Literature

Only yesterday – yesterday -they’d pitched camp in the blue autumn dusk.

From Literature

The White House at dusk, the length of the National Mall at midday.

From Literature

Nightjars are crepuscular ground-nesting birds meaning they emerge at twilight and can be seen hunting for food at dusk and dawn.

From BBC

After working in her new home studio, Baker says she marvels at the beauty of dusk — the depth of orange and blue — as she drives to pick up her kids from school.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• nightfall
• sundown
• sunset
• twilight