false dawn

American  

noun

1. zodiacal light occurring before sunrise.

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false dawn British  

noun

1. zodiacal light appearing just before sunrise

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Etymology

Origin of false dawn

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

But it looks like that tentative rebound was another false dawn for the cryptocurrencies.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

They went down 4-1 at City last season when Mohamed Salah's early opener on April 1 proved to be a false dawn for the visitors.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2023

The question now is whether this represents a false dawn on inflation, or the start of a durable decline in rising costs — and interest rates.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2023

The next week or so will show whether or not this is a false dawn with U.S. payrolls numbers due on Friday, U.S.

From Reuters • Mar. 6, 2023

Somewhere just before dawn, when the first light of false dawn was making the western side of the lake come into view, Brian finally accepted it.

From "The River" by Gary Paulsen