midnight

[mid-nahyt]

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.

midnight

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of midnight¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

He was arrested when it arrived just after midnight on 11 March.

Read more on BBC

When flames lit up the hillside near Skull Rock on the Temescal Ridge Trail shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, firefighters moved quickly to suppress the blaze.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Shortly before midnight, the children get into their beds to listen to a live reading of the 1993 children's book "The Night at the Museum" by Milan Trenc -- the inspiration for the film.

Read more on Barron's

Aptly, we arrived just before midnight to dark, quiet streets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They wonder: Will asset managers need to staff their offices at midnight?

Read more on Barron's