Nearby words
dawn on, dawn patrol, dawn phenomenon, dawn raid, dawney, dawning, dawson, dawson creek, dawsonite, dax, day
Related forms
un·dawn·ing, adjectiveDefinition for dawning (2 of 2)
dawn
[ dawn ]
/ dɔn /
noun
the first appearance of daylight in the morning: Dawn broke over the valley.
the beginning or rise of anything; advent: the dawn of civilization.
verb (used without object)
to begin to grow light in the morning: The day dawned with a cloudless sky.
to begin to open or develop.
to begin to be perceived (usually followed by on): The idea dawned on him.
Origin of dawn
before 1150; Middle English dawen (v.), Old English dagian, derivative of dæg day; akin to Old Norse daga, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dagen, Old High German tagēn
SYNONYMS FOR dawn
Related forms
dawn·like, adjectiveun·dawned, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for dawning
British Dictionary definitions for dawning
dawn
/ (dɔːn) /
noun
daybreak; sunriseRelated adjective: auroral
the sky when light first appears in the morning
the beginning of something
verb (intr)
to begin to grow light after the night
to begin to develop, appear, or expand
(usually foll by on or upon) to begin to become apparent (to)
Derived Forms
dawnlike, adjectiveWord Origin for dawn
Old English dagian to dawn; see day
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with dawning
dawn
In addition to the idiom beginning with dawn
- dawn on
also see:
- crack of dawn
- light dawned
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.