noon
Americannoun
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twelve o'clock in the daytime.
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the highest, brightest, or finest point or part.
the noon of one's career.
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Archaic. midnight.
the noon of night.
noun
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the middle of the day; 12 o'clock in the daytime or the time or point at which the sun crosses the local meridian
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( as modifier )
the noon sun
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poetic the highest, brightest, or most important part; culmination
Etymology
Origin of noon
before 900; Middle English none, Old English nōn < Latin nōna ninth hour. See none 2
Explanation
Noon is twelve o'clock in the middle of the day. Many people sit down to eat lunch right at noon. You can also call noon midday, and its opposite is midnight — also twelve o'clock, but falling in the middle of the night. The word noon comes from a Latin root, nona hora, or "ninth hour." In medieval times, noon fell at three PM, nine hours after a monk's traditional rising hour of six o'clock in the morning. Over time, as noon came to be synonymous in English with midday, its timing changed to twelve PM.
Vocabulary lists containing noon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Long March-10B, in its maiden flight, was launched into orbit around noon on Friday from southern Hainan province.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Please join us for the Amicus Plus Breakfast Table on Friday, July 10, at noon EDT!
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
Something about tomato juice before noon has always felt like a personal challenge rather than a cocktail.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Heavy rain helped clear the smoke, and conditions had returned to normal by around noon on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
“That Belgian boy and girl at the bench next to mine? This noon they became engaged!”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
