Definition

1. Noun:
   • The time when light first appears in the sky at the beginning of a new day; dawn. It refers specifically to the earliest period of morning twilight, just before or as the sun begins to rise.

Usage

• Noun: Used to indicate the very early morning time. It is a formal or literary synonym for "dawn."
  • We planned to start our hike at first light.
  • The fishermen set out to sea with the first light.

Advanced Usage

• "At first light": A common prepositional phrase meaning "at dawn" or "as soon as it begins to get light in the morning."
  • The troops will advance at first light.
  • We must depart at first light to avoid the heat.

Variants and Related Words

• Dawn (n): The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. (A direct synonym)
• Daybreak (n): The time in the morning when daylight first appears. (A direct synonym)
• Sunrise (n): The moment when the sun appears above the horizon. (This is a more specific moment that occurs slightly after first light.)
• Morning twilight: The period of diffused light before sunrise.

Synonyms

• Dawn
• Daybreak
• Break of day
• Cockcrow (literary)
• Aurora (poetic)

Idioms and Phrases

• At the crack of dawn: Very early in the morning, at first light.
  • She gets up at the crack of dawn every day to exercise.
• From dawn till dusk: From early morning until evening.
  • The farmers worked from dawn till dusk.

Noun

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