predawn

American  

[pree-dawn, pree-] / priˈdɔn, ˈpri- /

noun

1. the period immediately preceding dawn.

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adjective

1. noting the time immediately prior to dawn.

Etymology

Origin of predawn

First recorded in 1945–50; pre- + dawn

Example Sentences

The sensitivity of the response to Maduro was evident in a predawn meeting two days after Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that "in two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously co-ordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships".

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

In Hermiston, Ore., Marc Benner, 60, arrives in the predawn hours at a data-center construction site and lines up with scores of workers for a series of synchronized stretches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

It’s a bustling predawn morning in Black Rock City.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

The three Domishmen broke their fast in the predawn chill—a simple meal of fruit and bread and cheese, washed down with goat milk.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin