dusk

Meanings

Noun

• A period of time at the end of day when the sun is below the horizon but before the full onset of night, especially the darker part of twilight.
• A darkish colour.
• The condition of being dusky; duskiness

Verb

• To begin to lose light or whiteness; to grow dusk.
• To make dusk.

Adjective

• Tending to darkness or blackness; moderately dark or black; dusky.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• astronomical dusk
• civil dusk
• nautical dusk

Origin

• From Middle English dosk, duske, from Old English dox ("dark, swarthy"), from Proto-Germanic *duskaz ("dark, smoky"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂s- (compare Old Irish donn ("dark"), Latin fuscus ("dark, dusky"), Sanskrit धूसर ("dust-colored")), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- ("smoke, mist, haze"). More at dye. Related to dust.