26984 words

dawn

7 definitions • 11 examples
1
the period in the day when light from the sun begins to appear in the sky:

Examples:

at dawn We woke at dawn.
dawn is breaking We left as dawn was breaking (= starting).
break of dawn We left at the break of dawn.
2
the start of a period of time or the beginning of something new:

Examples:

The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the dawn of a new era in European history.
3
from early morning until night:

Examples:

We worked from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
4
If a day or period of time dawns, it begins:

Examples:

He left the house just as the day was dawning.
In the late 1970s, the personal computer era was dawning.
5

Examples:

Gradually the truth about him dawned.
[ + that ] It eventually dawned that he wouldn't be coming back.
6
the period in the day when light from the sun begins to appear in the sky:

Examples:

[ U ] fig. Computers mark the dawn of a new age.
7
(of a day or period of time) to begin:

Examples:

Winston left his house as the day was dawning.

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