twilight

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twi·light

(twī′līt′)

a. The diffused light from the sky during the early evening or early morning when the sun is below the horizon and its light is refracted by the earth's atmosphere.

b. The time of the day when the sun is just below the horizon, especially the period between sunset and dark.

2. Dim or diffused illumination.

3. A period or condition of decline following growth, glory, or success: in the twilight of his life.

4. A state of ambiguity or obscurity.

[Middle English twilighte : Old English twi-, two, half; see dwo- in Indo-European roots + Old English līht, light; see light¹.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

twilight

(ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt)

1. the soft diffused light occurring when the sun is just below the horizon, esp following sunset.

2. the period in which this light occurs

3. the period of time during which the sun is a specified angular distance below the horizon (6°, 12°, and 18° for civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight, respectively)

4. any faint light

5. a period in which strength, importance, etc, are waning: the twilight of his life.

6. (modifier)

a. of or relating to the period towards the end of the day: the twilight shift.

b. of or relating to the final phase of a particular era: the twilight days of the Bush presidency.

c. denoting irregularity and obscurity: a twilight existence.

[C15: literally: half-light (between day and night), from Old English twi- half + light¹]

twilit adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

twi•light

(ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt)

n.

1. the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either from daybreak to sunrise or, more commonly, from sunset to nightfall.

2. the period in the morning or, more commonly, in the evening during which this light prevails.

3. a terminal period, esp. after full development, success, etc.

4. a state of uncertainty, vagueness, or gloom.

adj.

5. of or resembling twilight; dim; obscure.

[1375–1425; late Middle English; see twi-, light¹]

twilight

- The time of two lights, the fading sunset and the emerging light of the moon and stars; there are three sequential stages of twilight: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight.

twilight

The periods of incomplete darkness following sunset and preceding sunrise. Twilight is designated as civil, nautical or astronomical, as the darker limit occurs when the center of the sun is 6 deg, 12 deg or 18 deg, respectively, below the celestial horizon.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	twilight - the time of day immediately following sunset; "he loved the twilight"; "they finished before the fall of night" crepuscle, crepuscule, dusk, evenfall, gloam, gloaming, nightfall, fall even, evening, eventide, eve - the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall); "he enjoyed the evening light across the lake" night - a shortening of nightfall; "they worked from morning to night" time of day, hour - clock time; "the hour is getting late"
	2.	$twilight - the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth$ twilight - the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth light, visible light, visible radiation - (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation; "the light was filtered through a soft glass window"
	3.	twilight - a condition of decline following successes; "in the twilight of the empire" declination, decline - a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
Adj.	1.	twilight - lighted by or as if by twilight; "The dusky night rides down the sky/And ushers in the morn"-Henry Fielding; "the twilight glow of the sky"; "a boat on a twilit river" dusky, twilit dark - devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black; "sitting in a dark corner"; "a dark day"; "dark shadows"; "dark as the inside of a black cat"

twilight

noun

1. dusk, evening, sunset, early evening, nightfall, sundown, gloaming (Scot. or poetic), close of day They returned at twilight and set off for the bar.
dusk morning, dawn, sunrise, daybreak, sunup

2. half-light, gloom, dimness, semi-darkness the deepening autumn twilight

3. decline, last years, final years, closing years, autumn, downturn, ebb, last phase Now they are both in the twilight of their careers.
decline height, peak, climax, crowning moment

adjective

1. evening, dim, darkening the summer twilight sky

2. declining, last, final, dying, ebbing the twilight years of the Hapsburg Empire

Related words
adjective crepuscular

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

twilight

noun

The period between afternoon and nighttime:

dusk, eve, evening, eventide, gloaming, nightfall.

Archaic: even, vesper.

Translations

غَسَقفَتْرَة ضَعْف القُوَّه، إنخِفاض القُوَّه

šerosoumrak

skumringtusmørkenedgangsperiode

Dämmerung Dämmerzustand Abenddämmerung

λυκόφως

crepúsculo tiniebla

aamuhämäräepäselvähämäräiltahämärä

aube crépuscule déclin pénombre brumes

sumrak

hnignunljósaskipti

crepuscolo

sutemos

krēslamijkrēslisnovakare

mrak

sumrak

alaca karanlıkçöküş devri

暮光曙光没落时代衰年

twilight

[ˈtwaɪlaɪt]

A. N

1. (= evening) → anochecer m, crepúsculo m; (= morning) → madrugada f
at twilight → al anochecer
in the twilight → a media luz

2. (fig) → crepúsculo m, ocaso m

B. CPD twilight area N = twilight zone twilight sleep N → sueño m crepuscular
a twilight world N → un mundo crepuscular
twilight zone N → zona f gris

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

twilight

[ˈtwaɪlaɪt]

(= dusk) → crépuscule m
in the twilight → dans la pénombre

(fig) the twilight of sth (career) → la fin de qch; (life, civilization, empire) → le crépuscule de qch
in the twilight of his life → au crépuscule de sa vie

modif (= final) [years] → dernier/ère twilight hourstwilight hours n (= dusk) → crépuscule m
during twilight hours → au crépuscule

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

twilight

n (= time) → Dämmerung f; (= semi-darkness also) → Dämmer- or Zwielicht nt; at twilight → in der Dämmerung; the twilight of the gods → die Götterdämmerung; the twilight of western civilization → der Herbst der westlichen Zivilisation (liter); the twilight of his life, his twilight years → sein Lebensabend m

twilight

twilight sleep

n (Med) → Dämmerschlaf m

twilight world

n → Welt f → des Zwielichts

twilight zone

n → Zwielicht nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

twilight

[ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt] n (evening, also) (fig) → crepuscolo; (morning) → alba
at twilight → al crepuscolo, all'alba
in the twilight → nella penombra

twilight

(ˈtwailait) noun

1. (the time of) the dim light just before the sun rises or just after it sets.

2. the time when the full strength or power of something is decreasing. in the twilight of his life.

twi·light

n. crepúsculo;

___ sleep → sueño crepuscular;

___ state → estado de somnolencia.

References in classic literature ?

Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair; Like Twilight's, too, her dusky hair; But all things else about her drawn From May-time and the cheerful Dawn; A dancing Shape, an Image gay, To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.

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In the twilight of the evening the fire grew brighter and more cheerful.

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At last a steady twilight brooded over the earth, a twilight only broken now and then when a comet glared across the darkling sky.

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They met daily in that strange and solemn interval, the twilight of the morning, in the violet or pink dawn; for it was necessary to rise early, so very early, here.

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The intervening space was empty--a paved solitude, between lofty edifices, which threw almost a twilight shadow over it.

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To make matters worse, this dangerous river travel could not be done in the dark, and their working day was reduced to the six hours of twilight. Every moment was precious, and they strove never to lose one.

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Verily, said he unto his disciples, a little while, and there cometh the long twilight. Alas, how shall I preserve my light through it!

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She sat down on her lounge beside Annushka, and looked about her in the twilight of the sleeping-carriage.

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My own servant came to me in the twilight, the muslin of his clothes clinging tightly to his drenched body, and told me that a gentleman had called and wished to see some one.

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Let nor call nor song nor sign Turn thee from thy hunting-line.(Morning mist or twilight clear, Serve him, Wardens of the Deer!) Wood and Water, Wind and Tree, Jungle-Favour go with thee!

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SUSPICIONS amongst thoughts, are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. Certainly they are to be repressed, or at least well guarded: for they cloud the mind; they leese friends; and they check with business, whereby business cannot go on currently and constantly.

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She had depended on a twilight walk to the Grecian temple, and perhaps all over the grounds, and an evening merely cold or damp would not have deterred her from it; but a heavy and settled rain even SHE could not fancy dry or pleasant weather for walking.