predawn

American

[pree-dawn, pree-] / priˈdɔn, ˈpri- /

noun

the period immediately preceding dawn.

adjective

noting the time immediately prior to dawn.

Etymology

Origin of predawn

First recorded in 1945–50; pre- + dawn

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.

See Examples For:

predawn

Ordering a predawn ride-share to the airport is always a gamble.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

President Rodrigo Paz on Saturday appeared in a predawn televised address to warn protesters they would face "the full force of the law" as he moved to end the crisis.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

It plunged into a ravine in the predawn hours Sunday along a mountain road.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

The sensitivity of the response to Maduro was evident in a predawn meeting two days after Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

Then, in the predawn hours of September 1, 1939, an air-raid siren jolted me out of sleep.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023