from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Night \Night\ (n[imac]t), n. [OE. night, niht, AS. neaht, niht;
akin to D. nacht, OS. & OHG. naht, G. nacht, Icel. n[=o]tt,
Sw. natt, Dan. nat, Goth. nahts, Lith. naktis, Russ. noche,
W. nos, Ir. nochd, L. nox, noctis, Gr. ny`x, nykto`s, Skr.
nakta, nakti. [root]265. Cf. {Equinox}, {Nocturnal}.]
1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the
horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the
time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the
sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial light.
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And God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night. --Gen. i. 5.
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2. Hence:
(a) Darkness; obscurity; concealment.
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Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night.
--Pope.
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(b) Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance.
(c) A state of affliction; adversity; as, a dreary night
of sorrow.
(d) The period after the close of life; death.
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She closed her eyes in everlasting night.
--Dryden.
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Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
--Dylan
Thomas.
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(e) A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems
to sleep. "Sad winter's night". --Spenser.
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Note: Night is sometimes used, esp. with participles, in the
formation of self-explaining compounds; as,
night-blooming, night-born, night-warbling, etc.
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{Night by night}, {Night after night}, nightly; many nights.
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So help me God, as I have watched the night,
Ay, night by night, in studying good for England.
--Shak.
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{Night bird}. (Zool.)
(a) The moor hen ({Gallinula chloropus}).
(b) The Manx shearwater ({Puffinus Anglorum}).
{Night blindness}. (Med.) See {Hemeralopia}.
{Night cart}, a cart used to remove the contents of privies
by night.
{Night churr}, (Zool.), the nightjar.
{Night crow}, a bird that cries in the night.
{Night dog}, a dog that hunts in the night, -- used by
poachers.
{Night fire}.
(a) Fire burning in the night.
(b) Ignis fatuus; Will-o'-the-wisp; Jask-with-a-lantern.
{Night flyer} (Zool.), any creature that flies in the night,
as some birds and insects.
{night glass}, a spyglass constructed to concentrate a large
amount of light, so as see objects distinctly at night.
--Totten.
{Night green}, iodine green.
{Night hag}, a witch supposed to wander in the night.
{Night hawk} (Zool.), an American bird ({Chordeiles
Virginianus}), allied to the goatsucker. It hunts the
insects on which it feeds toward evening, on the wing, and
often, diving down perpendicularly, produces a loud
whirring sound, like that of a spinning wheel. Also
sometimes applied to the European goatsuckers. It is
called also {bull bat}.
{Night heron} (Zool.), any one of several species of herons
of the genus {Nycticorax}, found in various parts of the
world. The best known species is {Nycticorax griseus}, or
{Nycticorax nycticorax}, of Europe, and the American
variety (var. naevius). The yellow-crowned night heron
({Nyctanassa violacea} syn. {Nycticorax violaceus})
inhabits the Southern States. Called also {qua-bird}, and
{squawk}.
{Night house}, a public house, or inn, which is open at
night.
{Night key}, a key for unfastening a night latch.
{Night latch}, a kind of latch for a door, which is operated
from the outside by a key.
{Night monkey} (Zool.), an owl monkey.
{night moth} (Zool.), any one of the noctuids.
{Night parrot} (Zool.), the kakapo.
{Night piece}, a painting representing some night scene, as a
moonlight effect, or the like.
{Night rail}, a loose robe, or garment, worn either as a
nightgown, or over the dress at night, or in sickness.
[Obs.]
{Night raven} (Zool.), a bird of ill omen that cries in the
night; esp., the bittern.
{Night rule}.
(a) A tumult, or frolic, in the night; -- as if a
corruption, of night revel. [Obs.]
(b) Such conduct as generally rules, or prevails, at
night.
What night rule now about this haunted grove?
--Shak.
{Night sight}. (Med.) See {Nyctolopia}.
{Night snap}, a night thief. [Cant] --Beau. & Fl.
{Night soil}, human excrement; -- so called because in cities
it is collected by night and carried away for manure.
{Night spell}, a charm against accidents at night.
{Night swallow} (Zool.), the nightjar.
{Night walk}, a walk in the evening or night.
{Night walker}.
(a) One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist; a
noctambulist.
(b) One who roves about in the night for evil purposes;
specifically, a prostitute who walks the streets.
{Night walking}.
(a) Walking in one's sleep; sleep walking; somnambulism;
noctambulism.
(b) Walking the streets at night with evil designs.
{Night warbler} (Zool.), the sedge warbler ({Acrocephalus
phragmitis}); -- called also {night singer}. [Prov. Eng.]
{Night watch}.
(a) A period in the night, as distinguished by the change
of watch.
(b) A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night.
{Night watcher}, one who watches in the night; especially,
one who watches with evil designs.
{Night witch}. Same as {Night hag}, above.
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