Twilight Meaning
/ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
nounThe time when said light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness.
Sentence Examples
We find ourselves in the twilight of our civilization.
There was eternal twilight in the place.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sky was still glowing red during the ____, just after the sun had set.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We enjoyed a peaceful walk in the park during the ____, as the sun was setting and the sky was turning dark today.
Word Origin & History
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English twilight, twyelyghte, equivalent to twi- (“double, half-”) + light, literally ‘second light, half-light’. Cognate to Scots twa licht, twylicht, twielicht (“twilight”), Low German twilecht, twelecht (“twilight”), Dutch tweelicht (“twilight, dusk”), German Zwielicht (“twilight, dusk”). Compare Old English twēone lēoht (“twilight”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs."
— 1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
"Two women, Eusabio’s wife and sister, looked on from the deep twilight of the hut."
— 1927, Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop, Book VII, section 4, page 233:
"“They have not enough heart,” said Edith, with a smile. The very twilight of a smile: so singularly were its light and darkness blended."
— 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sky was still glowing red during the ____, just after the sun had set.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We enjoyed a peaceful walk in the park during the ____, as the sun was setting and the sky was turning dark today.