crack of dawn

noun

1. the part of morning when light first appears in the sky.

Idioms and Phrases

Very early morning, daybreak. For example, I got up at the crack of dawn. The crack in this term alludes either to the suddenness of sunrise or to the small wedge of light appearing as the sun rises over the horizon. Originally the term was usually put as crack of day. [Late 1800s]

Related Words

• dawning 
• daybreak 
• daylight 
• morning