dusk

1 of 3

adjective

: dusky
beginning to grow dusk outside

dusk

2 of 3

verb

dusked; dusking; dusks

intransitive verb

: to become dark
the dusking room

transitive verb

: to make dark or gloomy
a gray light dusked the roomWilliam Sansom
… his … formality dusked by the saturnine mood of ill health.Herman Melville

dusk

3 of 3

noun

1
: the darker part of twilight especially at night
The park closes at dusk.
2
: darkness or semidarkness caused by the shutting out of light

Examples of dusk in a Sentence

Adjective under a dusk sky, the campers wearily bedded down for the night Verb the grief-stricken woman continued to sit in the dusking room until she was completely enveloped in darkness Noun The park closes at dusk. we stopped playing at dusk, since it was getting too dark to see the ball
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
When the summer heat creeps to unbearable temperatures, pre-dawn and post-dusk become the most appealing times to run. Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2022 Mylar space blankets draped across their shoulders glistened a surreal golden hue as the vessel’s blinding strobe lights illuminated the post-dusk spectacle. Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2021
Noun
The dog-friendly trails are groomed daily and are open every day from dawn to dusk. Roger Sands, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 As day turns to dusk and then nighttime, the suffused daylight outside gives way to the firefly-like flicker of passing headlights, while inside the room is bathed in light from a huge TV screen on one wall. Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dusk 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English dosk, alteration of Old English dox; akin to Latin fuscus dark brown, Old English dunn dun, dūst dust

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of dusk was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dusk

Cite this Entry

“Dusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusk. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dusk

noun
ˈdəsk
1
: the darker part of twilight especially at night
2
: partial darkness

More from Merriam-Webster on dusk

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