noon

noun

ˈnün

Synonyms of noon next

: midday

specifically : 12 o'clock at midday

archaic : midnight

—used chiefly in the phrase noon of night

: the highest point

Example Sentences

The party will take place from noon to 4 p.m. He showed up at precisely 12 noon.

Recent Examples on the Web Military and overseas ballots will be accepted up until noon April 25, according to the election calendar. —

Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Mar. 2023 North Bay: Some of the heaviest rainfall in the region will fall along the Russian River around sunrise, with towns like Guerneville and Healdsburg slated for rainfall rates around a quarter of an inch per hour through noon. —

Claire Hao, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2023 After its opening on May 5, La Pina hours will be 4 p.m. to close Tuesday through Friday and noon to close Saturday and Sunday. —

Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2023 Leela’s Wine Bar Enjoy sparkling green wine and green tea shots beginning at noon March 11 at this Greenville Avenue spot. —

Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023 Live music will be starting up at 5 p.m. WHERE: 6300 Old Lagrange Road WHEN: March 17, noon to 1 p.m. MORE INFORMATION: touroldham.com. —

The Courier-Journal, 6 Mar. 2023 ESCONDIDO Chamber hosts lunch with mayor The Greater Escondido Chamber of Commerce hosts a Leadership Luncheon at noon March 15 at 720 N. Broadway. —

Laura Groch Feb. 26, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2023 Police reported he was located safely shortly after noon Monday. —

Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2023 Blake has time to acquire another first-round pick before Friday’s noon Pacific time trade deadline, and more salary-cap flexibility to do it. —

Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'noon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nōn ninth hour from sunrise, from Latin nona, from feminine of nonus ninth; akin to Latin novem nine — more at nine

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of noon was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Noon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noon. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

noon

noun

ˈnün

: the middle of the day : 12 o'clock in the daytime

noon adjective

Etymology

Old English nōn "ninth hour from sunrise," derived from Latin nona, a feminine form of nonus "ninth," from novem "nine"

Word Origin

Noon has not always meant "12 o'clock in the daytime." In the ancient Roman way of keeping track of time, the hours of the day were counted from sunrise to sunset. The ninth hour of their day (about 3 p.m. nowadays) was called nona, Latin for "ninth." In the early period of English, the word was borrowed as nōn, also referring to the ninth hour after sunrise. By the 14th century, however, the word came to be used for midday, 12 o'clock, as we use it today.