false dawn

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noun

zodiacal light occurring before sunrise.

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Origin of false dawn

First recorded in 1825–35

Words nearby false dawn

false colour, false colours, false conjugate, false consciousness, false cyst, false dawn, False Decretals, false diamond, false diverticulum, false dragonhead, false face

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use false dawn in a sentence

Shortly after dawn, there was another outbreak of deadly force.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Do you want to be on the wrong side of history, Academy?
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And no issue should be defined by its outliers because it paints a false picture.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem|Will Cain|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He has contributed to a false picture of law enforcement based on isolated injustices.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem|Will Cain|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“Nothing else to do” was the most common response for why people chose to go to The Ball, though that rang a little false to me.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Things looked anxious for a bit, but by this morning's dawn all are dug in, cool, confident.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Will it ever dawn on Mrs. Dodd's mind, that parsons, even married parsons, are but men?
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her,—the light which, showing the way, forbids it.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
But the sheer quantity of the inflated currency and false money forces prices higher still.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
From dawn to breakfast time all hands busy slinging shells—modern war sinews—piles of them—aboard.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for false dawn

false dawn

noun

zodiacal light appearing just before sunrise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012