midnight

American  

[mid-nahyt] / ˈmɪdˌnaɪt /

noun

1. the middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to midnight.

2. resembling midnight, as in darkness.

idioms

1. burn the midnight oil, to study or work far into the night.

   After months of burning the midnight oil, he really needed a vacation.

midnight British  

/ ˈmɪdˌnaɪt /

noun

1. 1. the middle of the night; 12 o'clock at night

   2. ( as modifier )

      the midnight hour

2. to work or study late into the night

---

Other Word Forms

• midnightly adjective
• postmidnight adjective
• premidnight noun

Etymology

Origin of midnight

before 900; Middle English; Old English midniht. See mid-, night

Example Sentences

Nangarhar police told AFP the bombardment started at around midnight and hit three districts.

From Barron's

Shiber was granted an accommodation to help her manage unspecified mood and anxiety disorders: a window from midnight to 9 a.m. in which she would not have to work, the lawsuit said.

From The Wall Street Journal

As midnight nears with the party in full swing, the waitress joins the throng on the dancefloor, swept up by the tunes -- until a power cut brings the music to a halt.

From Barron's

Then she always had to spend another eternity drying her hair—she’d be doing well to make it back to Chip’s house before midnight.

From Literature

Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived around midnight on Monday in Mumbai, India's financial capital, for his fourth visit to India since taking office in 2017.

From Barron's