Definition

1. Noun:
   • The first light of day; dawn; sunrise; daybreak; aurora; morning; first light; cockcrow; dawning; dayspring; sunup: The time in the early morning when light first appears in the sky before the sun rises.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We set out at break of day to begin our long hike.
  • The rooster's crow announced the break of day.
  • They promised to meet at the break of day.

Advanced Usage

• "at break of day": A common prepositional phrase used to indicate something happening at that specific time.
  • The attack was launched at break of day.
• Literary/Formal Tone: "Break of day" is often used in literary, poetic, or formal contexts. In everyday speech, "dawn" or "sunrise" are more common.

Variants and Related Words

• Dawn (n): The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. (A very common synonym).
• Daybreak (n): The time in the morning when daylight first appears. (A very close synonym).
• Sunrise (n): The exact moment when the upper limb of the sun appears above the horizon. (More specific to the sun's appearance).
• First light (n): The initial light of dawn.
• Crack of dawn (n, idiomatic): A very informal idiom meaning very early in the morning, at daybreak.

Synonyms

• Dawn
• Daybreak
• Sunrise
• First light
• Cockcrow
• Dayspring
• Sunup
• Aurora (poetic)

Related Idioms

• The crack of dawn: An idiom meaning extremely early in the morning.
  • We have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight.
  • (Note: This is a related idiom, not a direct variant of "break of day").

Noun

1. the first light of day
   • we got up before dawn
   • they talked until morning