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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. The darker stage of twilight, especially in the evening.
  2. adj. Tending to darkness; dusky.
  3. v. To become or make dark or dusky.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Dark; tending to darkness; dusky; shaded, either as to light or color; shadowy; swarthy.
  2. n. Partial darkness; an obscuring of light, especially of the light of day; a state between light and darkness; twilight: as, the dusk of the evening; the dusk of a dense forest.
  3. n. Tendency to darkness of color; swarthiness.
  4. To make dusky or dark; obscure; make less luminous.
  5. To make dim.
  6. To grow dark; begin to lose light, brightness, or whiteness.
  7. To cause a dusky appearance; produce a slightly ruffled or shadowed surface.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A period of time occurring at the end of the day during which the sun sets.
  2. v. to begin to lose light or whiteness; to grow dusk

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Tending to darkness or blackness; moderately dark or black; dusky.
  2. n. Imperfect obscurity; a middle degree between light and darkness; twilight.
  3. n. A darkish color.
  4. v. To make dusk.
  5. v. To grow dusk.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. the time of day immediately following sunset
  2. v. become dusk

Etymologies

  1. From Middle English, dark, alteration of Old English dox.

Examples

  • “You can also try your hand at paddling through Kayak Pittsburgh, which offers free kayaking 4 p.m. to dusk Monday-Friday in Lake Elizabeth on Pittsburgh's North Side, near the National Aviary (10 a. m.-dusk Saturday and Sunday, $5 per boat).”

    post-gazette.com - News

  • “COME, for the dusk is our own; let us fare forth together,”

    The Watchman and Other Poems

  • “Even when dusk is descending, he is never ready to leave.”

    Chet of Arabia

  • “The sound of birdsong in the brief dusk is a shock, an exotic reminder of lazy summer evenings long past.”

    skittledog: January

  • “Its impressive network of canals may lack the gondolas of its Italian sister, but the view at dusk is pretty and romantic while standing on any number of foot paths and bridges dotting the city.”

    The Huffington Post: Magda Abu-Fadil: The Other Face of Hamburg (PHOTOS)

  • “Hearing a tom gobble from his roost at dusk is great, but it's no guarantee he'll wake up singing.”

    Ten Tips for Hunting Stubborn Spring Turkeys

  • “What makes this really fun at dusk is that there may be pedestians or bicyclists without reflectors or stalled autos on the shoulder which you may run over and then you are supposed emulate local custom and keep driving to escape.”

    Driving at Night

  • “They had taken off at dusk from the tiny island of Masirah.”

    The Desert One Debacle

  • “He said being allowed to play only 18 games after dusk is hurting the team, that the summer sun serves up a punishing physical toll on the Cubbies.”

    USATODAY.com - Sosa headed out of Chicago and into the night?

  • “Over it plays a continual vapour, which hangs by day like a silvery cloud, but at dusk is red and glowing like the Aurora Borealis, and in the night is as a forest in flames.”

    A Book of Golden Deeds

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Comments

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  • reevabear Dusk just reminds me of softness and secrets. Dec 16, 2010

  • npydyuan How many shades of dusk? A brazillion, I'd say. Oct 17, 2007

‘dusk’ has been looked up 2444 times, loved by 12 people, added to 94 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 9.