dawn on
noun
1.
the first appearance of daylight in the morning: Dawn broke over the valley.
2.
the beginning or rise of anything; advent: the dawn of civilization.
verb (used without object)
3.
to begin to grow light in the morning: The day dawned with a cloudless sky.
4.
to begin to open or develop.
5.
to begin to be perceived (usually followed by on ): The idea dawned on him.
00:10
Dawn on
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Origin:
before 1150; Middle English dawen (v.), Old English dagian, derivative of dæg day; akin to Old Norse daga, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dagen, Old High German tagēn
before 1150; Middle English dawen (v.), Old English dagian, derivative of dæg day; akin to Old Norse daga, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dagen, Old High German tagēn
Related forms
dawn·like, adjective
un·dawned, adjective
Synonyms
1. daybreak, sunrise. 5. appear, occur, break.
1. daybreak, sunrise. 5. appear, occur, break.
Antonyms
1. sunset.
1. sunset.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To dawn on
Collins
World English Dictionary
dawn (dɔːn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | daybreak; sunriseRelated: auroral |
| 2. | the sky when light first appears in the morning |
| 3. | the beginning of something |
| —vb (usually foll by on | |
| 4. | to begin to grow light after the night |
| 5. | to begin to develop, appear, or expand |
| 6. | to begin to become apparent (to) |
| Related: auroral | |
| [Old English dagian to dawn; see | |
| 'dawnlike | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dawn
c.1500, shortened from dawning, dawing (c.1300), from O.E. dagung, from dagian "to become day," from root of dæg "day" (see day). Probably influenced by a Scandinavian word (cf. Dan. dagning, O.N. dagan). The noun is first recorded c.1600.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| DAWN Drug Abuse Warning Network |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
dawn on
Also, dawn upon. Become evident or understood, as in It finally dawned on him that he was expected to call them, or Around noon it dawned upon me that I had never eaten breakfast. This expression transfers the beginning of daylight to the beginning of a thought process. Harriet Beecher Stowe had it in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852): "The idea that they had either feelings or rights had never dawned upon her." [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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