night

[ nahyt ]
See synonyms for: nightnighternightestnights on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

  2. the beginning of this period; nightfall.

  1. the darkness of night; the dark.

  2. a condition or time of obscurity, ignorance, sinfulness, misfortune, etc.: the long night of European history known as the Dark Ages.

  3. (sometimes initial capital letter) an evening used or set aside for a particular event, celebration, or other special purpose: a night on the town; poker night; New Year's Night.

adjective
  1. of or relating to night: the night hours.

  2. occurring, appearing, or seen at night: a night raid; a night bloomer.

  1. used or designed to be used at night: to take a night coach; the night entrance.

  2. working at night: night nurse; the night shift.

  3. active at night: the night feeders of the jungle.

Idioms about night

  1. night and day, : Also day and night .

    • unceasingly; continually: She worked night and day until the job was done.

    • a complete difference; completely different: The improvement in her grades after tutoring was like night and day.

Origin of night

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English niht, neaht; cognate with German Nacht, Gothic nahts, Latin nox (stem noct- ), Greek nýx (stem nykt- )

Other words from night

  • nightless, adjective
  • night·less·ly, adverb
  • nightlike, adjective

Words that may be confused with night

Words Nearby night

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use night in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for night

night

/ (naɪt) /


noun
  1. the period of darkness each 24 hours between sunset and sunrise, as distinct from day

  2. (modifier) of, occurring, working, etc, at night: a night nurse

  1. the occurrence of this period considered as a unit: four nights later they left

  2. the period between sunset and retiring to bed; evening

  3. the time between bedtime and morning: she spent the night alone

  4. the weather conditions of the night: a clear night

  5. the activity or experience of a person during a night

  6. (sometimes capital) any evening designated for a special observance or function

  7. nightfall or dusk

  8. a state or period of gloom, ignorance, etc

  9. make a night of it to go out and celebrate for most of the night

  10. night and day continually: that baby cries night and day

Origin of night

1
Old English niht; compare Dutch nacht, Latin nox, Greek nux

Other words from night

  • Related adjective: nocturnal

Derived forms of night

  • nightless, adjective
  • nightlike, adjective

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with night

night

In addition to the idioms beginning with night

  • night and day
  • night owl

also see:

  • black as night
  • call it a day (night)
  • dead of (night)
  • different as night and day
  • good night
  • make a day (night) of it
  • ships that pass in the night

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.