dawn — the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise
Pronunciation (IPA): /dɔːn/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks 4 AM is the perfect time to practice opera singing - right at dawn!
- The dawn of smartphones marked the end of people actually talking to each other.
- She realized the truth would dawn on him eventually.
dawn
NOUN[/dɔːn/]
the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise

Dawn slowly brightened the city as the first sunlight appeared on the horizon.

At dawn, she opened the curtains and watched the day turn on with sunlight. (DAWN → DAY ON)

At dawn, the baker stopped yawning and happily baked fresh bread.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word dawn derives from Old English 'dagung', meaning 'the breaking of day' or 'daybreak'. It developed from a common Germanic root shared across the language family, eventually evolving into the modern English form 'dawn'.
Breakdown
The word underwent sound changes from Old English 'dagung' (day + -ung, a suffix indicating the process or state) through the intermediate form 'dawen' to arrive at the modern 'dawn', reflecting the linguistic simplification typical of Middle English.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks 4 AM is the perfect time to practice opera singing - right at dawn!”
“The dawn of smartphones marked the end of people actually talking to each other.”
“She realized the truth would dawn on him eventually.”
“The fishermen set out before dawn to catch the early fish.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.