midnight

American  

[mid-nahyt] / ˈmɪdˌnaɪt /

noun

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

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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

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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

From the expansive photo archives of his living room to a midnight shoot in the industrial heart of Chinatown, Reynaldo Rivera reveals the ghosts of Old Hollywood and the messy humanity captured in his lens.

From Los Angeles Times

“I charge my car after midnight because the rate is lower because the consumption is lower.”

From MarketWatch

The reductions kicked in at midnight last night meaning fuel leaving depots from then onwards was subject to the lower excise rates.

From BBC

Homendy said the staffing level was "common practice across the national airspace" for a midnight shift, noting however that her agency had previously raised concerns about fatigue.

From Barron's

Homendy said there were two controllers working who had clocked in about an hour before the collision and had taken on additional duties, which is standard for the midnight shift.

From The Wall Street Journal