Definition

Noun: * The time of day when light first appears in the sky; dawn. It refers specifically to the early morning period just before and as the sun rises, often associated with the crowing of a rooster.

Usage

• Cockcrow is a somewhat literary or old-fashioned term for the early morning. It is used to indicate a specific time of day, often one that is very early.
• It functions as a noun and is typically used without an article (e.g., "at cockcrow") or with a possessive (e.g., "the cockcrow's light").

Examples

• The farmers began their work at cockcrow.
• We agreed to meet at cockcrow to start the journey.
• By cockcrow, the storm had finally passed.

Advanced Usage

• "The cockcrow": Can be used to personify or refer to the event or sound itself.
  • The first cockcrow echoed through the silent valley.
• Used in poetic or descriptive contexts to evoke a sense of a new beginning or a rural, traditional setting.

Variants and Related Words

• Dawn (n): The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. (A more common synonym).
• Daybreak (n): The time in the morning when daylight first appears. (A very close synonym).
• Sunrise (n): The time when the sun appears above the horizon.
• Morning (n): The period of time from sunrise to noon.

Synonyms

• Dawn
• Daybreak
• Sunrise
• First light
• Aurora (poetic)

Antonyms

• Dusk
• Sunset
• Nightfall
• Twilight (evening)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• At the crack of dawn: Very early in the morning.
  • We left at the crack of dawn.
• From dawn till dusk: From early morning until evening; all day long.
  • He worked from dawn till dusk.

Noun

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