# dusk

Pronunciation: say "DUSK" /dʌsk/

## Noun

1. The period after sunset when the sky stays lit by fading sunlight; the evening twilight.
   - Simple: The part of the evening just after the sun goes down, when the sky still has some light.
   - _Bats began to appear at dusk, flitting between the trees._
   - _We packed up the picnic as dusk settled over the valley._
2. The quality or condition of being dusky; duskiness.
   - Simple: The state of being somewhat dark or shadowy.
   - _The dusk of the cavern deepened as they ventured further inside._
   - _A gathering dusk filled the hall once the lamps were extinguished._
3. A somewhat dark color or shade.
   - Simple: A color that is fairly dark.

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Moderately dark or nearly black; tending toward darkness.
- (verb) To grow dim or dark, or to make something dim or dark.

## Origin

The word goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root tied to smoke and mist, which gave Proto-Germanic *duskaz (dark, smoky) and Old English dox (dark, swarthy). That became Middle English dosk, dusk(e) (dusky). Relatives include Sanskrit dhūsara (dust-colored), Latin fuscus (dark, dusky), and the English words dye, dust, and dun.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dusk (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).