predawn

adjective

pre·​dawn ˌprē-ˈdȯn How to pronounce predawn (audio)
-ˈdän
variants or less commonly pre-dawn
: existing or occurring before dawn
a predawn attack
the predawn hours
… the gigantic telescope started scanning the predawn sky.Howard Blum
predawn noun
or less commonly pre-dawn
plural predawns also pre-dawns
The most bone-chilling predawns create the sharpest sunrises. Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door. Bryan Burrough

Examples of predawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The predawn hours of April 28 will see a planetary triangle form in the night sky, as Venus makes a close approach to Saturn following a conjunction, while Neptune, invisible to the naked eye, will sit just a few degrees away towards the horizon. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2025 That’s where O’Keefe’s body was found in the snow blanketing the front of the house in the predawn hours of January 29, 2022. Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 He was taken into custody from his home in the occupied West Bank during a predawn raid in September, accused of throwing stones at soldiers, his family said. Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025 The best time to observe the Lyrids is in the predawn hours when the meteor shower's radiant is at its highest in the sky. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for predawn

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of predawn was in 1883

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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