Showing results for predawn. Search instead for predawns.

predawn

American

[pree-dawn, pree-] / priˈdɔn, ˈpri- /

noun

the period immediately preceding dawn.

adjective

noting the time immediately prior to dawn.

Etymology

Origin of predawn

First recorded in 1945–50; pre- + dawn

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

predawn

The peak takes place overnight on 12 August into the predawn hours of 13 August.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

President Rodrigo Paz on Saturday appeared in a predawn televised address to warn protesters they would face "the full force of the law" as he moved to end the crisis.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

“One might look at an org chart and underestimate her role and influence,” Warsh said in a 2020 oral history, recalling the predawn calls they shared with Bernanke at the height of the 2008-09 crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

It plunged into a ravine in the predawn hours Sunday along a mountain road.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

The exhaust clouds up around us like steam, the fuel smell piercing the predawn blackness.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023