Dawn Meaning
/dɔːn/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo begin to brighten with daylight.
verbTo start to appear or become obvious.
Sentence Examples
I'm beat. I've been working from dawn to dusk.
By the time the party is over, dawn will be breaking.
CEFR Practice Quiz
At ____, the first light appeared over the horizon, waking the birds.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I'm beat. I've been working from ____ to dusk.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English dawnen, either a back-formation from dawnynge or a modification of dawen (“to dawn”) after it. The noun is from the verb.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene[…]to see the sepulchre."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew xxviii:1:
"Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited."
— 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
"when life awakes, and dawns at every line"
— 1695, C[harles] A[lphonse] du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica. The Art of Painting, […], London: […] J[ohn] Heptinstall for W. Rogers, […], →OCLC:
"in dawning youth"
— 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
"Leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn!"
— 2023 February 3, Pope Francis, “Address of His Holiness”, in Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
At ____, the first light appeared over the horizon, waking the birds.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I'm beat. I've been working from ____ to dusk.