Skip to main content

dawnthe 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.
💡 Concept

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)
🧠 Mnemonic

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.
🎵 Rhyme

At dawn, the baker stopped yawning and happily baked fresh bread.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/dɔːn/
🇬🇧 UK/dɔːn/

🌳Etymology

Rootdawn

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

lawnyawndrawnspawn
lawn
yawn
drawn
spawn

🔗Collocations

at dawn
dawn breaks
dawn of civilization
crack of dawn
dawn chorus
before dawn
dawn patrol

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My cat thinks 4 AM is the perfect time to practice opera singing - right at dawn!

😄 Fun example

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

daybreaksunrisemorningbeginningstart

Antonyms

dusksunsettwilight

Related

morningsunrisedaylightaurorabeginning

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.