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

Explanation

Dusk is the period of time between sunset and nightfall. Many parents allow their children to roam freely in their neighborhood as long as they are home by dusk. For some, dusk is seen as a mysterious, almost magical time, serving as the bridge between the brightness of day and the darkness of night. The English language contains numerous synonyms for dusk including crepuscule, evenfall, and gloaming. Owing perhaps to the mystical qualities associated with dusk, these words are better suited for poetry than for daily use.

Related Words

• nightfall
• sundown
• sunset
• twilight