night

noun

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\ ˈnīt

Definition of night

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the time from dusk to dawn when no sunlight is visible The store is open all night.

2a : an evening or night taken as an occasion or point of time the opening night

b : an evening set aside for a particular purpose Thursdays is game night in our house.

3a : the quality or state of being dark approached the enemy's camp under cover of night

b : a condition or period felt to resemble the darkness of night: such as

(1) : a period of dreary inactivity or affliction the glories of Roman civilization were lost in a gloomy night of ignorance, superstition, and barbarism— R. A. Hall

(2) : absence of moral values … that night which has for many centuries obscured our holy religion …— Joseph Priestley

c : the beginning of darkness : nightfall worked in the fields until night

night

adjective

Definition of night (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or associated with the night night air

2 : intended for use at night a night lamp

3a : existing, occurring, or functioning at night night baseball a night nurse

b : active or functioning best at night night people

Other Words from night Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about night

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Examples of night in a Sentence

Noun Who are you calling at this time of night? It's eleven o'clock at night. She and her husband both work at night and sleep during the day. The store's open all night. They were up all night long playing video games. Let's stop for the night and get a hotel. a cold, rainy night in the city I stayed up late five nights in a row. Last night, I had the strangest dream. Spend six nights and seven days on a tropical island in the Caribbean! Adjective He is taking a night flight. a night manager at the supermarket This is the last night bus.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The package starts at $210, which includes one night in the hotel and one night of camping. — Megan Michelson, Outside Online, "6 Spring Break Trips for Adventure Lovers on a Budget," 7 Feb. 2020 Cassidy’s Boston win percentage prior to last night: .608 (149/245). — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Since taking the reins, Bruce Cassidy has had Bruins on a roll," 5 Feb. 2020 Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs, who won their first Super Bowl title in 50 years last night. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "5 things to know for February 3: Impeachment, Iowa, coronavirus, Syria, travel ban," 3 Feb. 2020 Dallas was a play in this same corner — on the puck line — two nights back when the Stars had to sneak past the Devils, 3-2, in overtime. — Skip Snow, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Dallas Stars at New York Rangers odds, picks and best bets," 3 Feb. 2020 Recycling dresses has grown in popularity with stars and designers trying to be eco-friendly by rewearing gowns instead of crafting new ones for just one night out. — Lindsay Weinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "BAFTAs: Kate Middleton Re-Wears 2012 Gown Amid Push for Sustainable Red Carpet Fashion," 3 Feb. 2020 Their week-long stay included two all-night stays at two-story building, built in 1907. — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, "Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue featured on Travel Channel’s 'Trending Fear'," 30 Jan. 2020 Billie Eilish had a historic night at the Grammy Awards last night. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Billie Eilish Couldn’t Help But Shout Out Ariana Grande in Her Grammy Speech," 27 Jan. 2020 Just kidding — there's no way to let the Grammys, one of the biggest nights of the year for not only music but also for style and beauty, slip your mind. — Marci Robin, Allure, "The Best Hair, Makeup, and Nail Looks at the 2020 Grammys," 27 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'night.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for night

Noun

Middle English night, niht, going back to Old English nieht, niht, umlauted form of neaht, næht, going back to Germanic *naht- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German naht "night," Old Norse nótt, nátt, Gothic nahts), going back to Indo-European *nok^w-t-, whence Old Irish innocht "tonight," Welsh peunoeth "every night" (Welsh nos "night" perhaps going back to *nok^wt-stu-), Latin noct-, nox "night," Old Church Slavic noštĭ, Lithuanian naktìs, Greek nykt-, nýx, Sanskrit nakt-, nak, Hittite nekuz "in the evening" (from an oblique case stem *nek^wt-)