Twilight

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: twi=light

CIDE DICTIONARY

Twilight, n. [OE. twilight, AS. twi- (see Twice) + leóht light; hence the sense of doubtful or half light; cf. LG. twelecht, G. zwielicht. See Light.].

•  The light perceived before the rising, and after the setting, of the sun, or when the sun is less than 181913 Webster]
•  faint light; a dubious or uncertain medium through which anything is viewed.  [1913 Webster]

  "As when the sun . . . from behind the moon,
  In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds."  [1913 Webster]

  "The twilight of probability."  [1913 Webster]

Twilight, a. 

•  Seen or done by twilight.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Imperfectly illuminated; shaded; obscure.  [1913 Webster]

  "O'er the twilight groves and dusky caves."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Twilight, n.
1 the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, esp. in the evening.
2 the period of this.
3 a faint light.
4 a state of imperfect knowledge or understanding.
5 a period of decline or destruction.

Idiom

twilight sleep Med. a state of partial narcosis, esp. to ease the pain of childbirth. twilight zone
1 an urban area that is becoming dilapidated.
2 any physical or conceptual area which is undefined or intermediate.

Etymology

ME f. OE twi- two (in uncert. sense) + LIGHT(1)

THESAURUS

Twilight

afterglow, alpenglow, aurora, bad light, brown of dusk, brownness, candlelight, candlelighting, cocklight, crepuscular, crepuscule, dark, darkening, darkish, darkishness, darkling, darksome, darksomeness, dawnlight, deadness, decay, declination, decline, dim, dim light, diminution, dimming, dimness, dimpsy, downturn, drabness, dullness, dusk, duskiness, duskingtide, duskness, dusky, ebb, end, evening, evensong, eventide, first light, flatness, foredawn, gloam, gloaming, glooming, gloomy, glow, half-light, lack of sparkle, lackluster, lifelessness, limbo, lusterlessness, mat, mat finish, morning twilight, murk, murkiness, nightfall, obscure, owllight, partial darkness, semidark, shadowy, shady, slump, somberness, sundown, sunset, sunsetty, the small hours, twilight zone, twilighty, vesper, vespertine, wane, waning, weakening

ROGET THESAURUS

Twilight

Morning

N morning, morn, forenoon, a, m, prime, dawn, daybreak, dayspring, foreday, sunup, peep of day, break of day, aurora, first blush of the morning, first flush of the morning, prime of the morning, twilight, crepuscule, sunrise, cockcrow, cockcrowing, the small hours, the wee hours of the morning, spring, vernal equinox, first point of Aries, noon, midday, noonday, noontide, meridian, prime, nooning, noontime, summer, midsummer, matin, matutinal, vernal, at sunrise, with the sun, with the lark, when the morning dawns, at shut of evening flowers, entre chien et loup, flames in the forehead of the morning sky, the breezy call of incense-breathing morn.

Evening

N evening, eve, decline of day, fall of day, close of day, candlelight, candlelighting, eventide, nightfall, curfew, dusk, twilight, eleventh hour, sunset, sundown, going down of the sun, cock-shut, dewy eve, gloaming, bedtime, afternoon, postmeridian, p, m, autumn, fall, fall of the leaf, autumnal equinox, Indian summer, St. Luke's summer, St. Martin's summer, midnight, dead of night, witching hour, witching hour of night, witching time of night, winter, killing time, vespertine, autumnal, nocturnal, midnight, the outpost of advancing day, sable-vested Night, this gorgeous arch with golden worlds inlay'd.

Dimness

N dimness, darkness, paleness, half light, demi-jour, partial shadow, partial eclipse, shadow of a shade, glimmer, gliming, nebulosity, cloud, eclipse, aurora, dusk, twilight, shades of evening, crepuscule, cockshut time, break of day, daybreak, dawn, moonlight, moonbeam, moonglade, moonshine, starlight, owl's light, candlelight, rushlight, firelight, farthing candle, dim, dull, lackluster, dingy, darkish, shorn of its beams, dark, faint, shadowed forth, glassy, cloudy, misty, blear, muggy, fuliginous, nebulous, nebular, obnubilated, overcast, crepuscular, muddy, lurid, leaden, dun, dirty, looming, pale, confused.