nights

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of night.

   Summer nights in the valley stay warm long after sunset.

   She spent several nights packing before the big move.

   Note

   A regular -s plural, formed only from the countable senses of night: summer nights, several nights, evenings spent at some activity. The uncountable "nightfall" sense has no plural. The same spelling also serves as the time adverb in work nights. The noun can be counted and modified (two nights, those long nights), while the adverb cannot, and that is the quickest way to tell them apart.

2. 2
   adverb

   During the nighttime hours, especially on a regular or recurring basis.

   She studies nights so she can keep her day job.

   The bakery bakes fresh bread nights, ready for the morning rush.

   Similarnightly, overnight

   Oppositedays

   Note

   An old adverb that only looks like a plural. Old English nihtes, "by night," used the genitive -s to mark time, just as German nachts still does. It follows the verb directly, with no preposition: I work nights, my son days. It pairs naturally with its opposite, days. Because the -s is not a plural ending, it takes no number or article, unlike the ordinary plural noun in three nights away.

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