night

night S1 W1 /naɪt/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑night, ↑midnight, ↑nightie; adverb: ↑overnight, ↑nightly; adjective: ↑nightly, ↑overnight]
[Language: Old English; Origin: niht]
1. WHEN IT IS DARK the dark part of each 24-hour period when the sun cannot be seen and when most people sleep OPP day:
It was a cold moonlit night.
I didn’t sleep too well last night.
at night
At night the temperature drops below zero.
in/during the night
He woke up twice during the night.
by night
Many animals hunt by night.
(on) Friday night/that night etc
There was a storm on Friday night.
GRAMMAR
Use at night when talking about what generally or regularly happens then:
▪ The noise of the traffic keeps me awake at night.
Use in the night when talking about an event that happens at some time during the night:
▪ There had been heavy rain in the night.
Use by night to say what a person or animal does at night:
▪ We travelled by night.
When you are mentioning a time before midnight, use at night:
▪ ten o'clock at night
When you are mentioning a time after midnight, use in the morning:
▪ four in the morning
2. EVENING the time during the evening until you go to bed:
We had a really good meal last night.
They stay in and watch television every night.
She recognised him from the night before (=the previous evening).
My parents are coming for dinner tomorrow night.
Friday/Saturday etc night
There’s a party at Ben’s place on Saturday night.
We were on our way back from a night out (=an evening when you go to a party, restaurant, theatre etc) at the theatre.
Anna doesn’t like him walking home late at night.
quiz night/student night etc (=an evening when a particular event happens, especially at a bar, club etc)
3. nights if you do something nights, you do it regularly or often at night:
I work nights, so I’m usually asleep during the day.
4. night! spoken used to say goodbye to someone when it is late in the evening or when they are going to bed SYN good night:
Night! See you tomorrow!
5. night night! spoken used to say goodbye to someone, especially a child, when they are going to bed
6. night and day/day and night all the time:
The store is guarded day and night.
We had to work night and day to get it finished.
7. night or day/day or night at any time:
You can call me any time, night or day.
8. night after night every night for a long period:
He’s out drinking night after night.
9. first night/opening night the first performance of a play or show ⇨ premiere:
We saw ‘Riverdance’ on its opening night.
10. spend the night with somebody/spend the night together to sleep with someone and have sex with them:
And you thought we spent the night together?
11. a good night’s sleep a night when you sleep well:
You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.
12. (have a) late/early night to go to bed later or earlier than usual:
I think I’ll have an early night. ⇨ ↑late-night
13. last thing at night at the end of the day, just before you go to bed:
You should water plants either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
⇨ ↑nightly
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + night
▪ last night It rained last night.
▪ tomorrow night I should be back by tomorrow night.
▪ Friday/Saturday etc night I haven't seen him since Thursday night.
▪ an early night (=when you go to bed early) I'm really tired - I need an early night.
▪ a late night (=when you go to bed late) We had a late night last night.
▪ a long night (=a night when you do not sleep or you work hard) Everyone was tired and grumpy. It had been a long night.
▪ a sleepless night She had spent a sleepless night wondering what to do.
■ verbs
▪ spend a night somewhere (=sleep somewhere) We spent two nights at the Grand Hotel.
▪ stay the night (=sleep at someone's house) You're welcome to stay the night if you like.
▪ have a bad night (=not sleep well, especially when you are ill) I had a bad night last night.
▪ night falls written (=it starts to become dark) It grew colder as night fell.
▪ the night wears on (=continues) The pain gradually got better as the night wore on.
■ night + NOUN
▪ the night sky We looked up at the stars in the night sky.
▪ the night air The night air was scented with pine wood.
▪ a night train/bus/flight I took the night train to Fort William.
■ phrases
▪ all night He looked as if he'd been up all night.
▪ all night long (=used to emphasize that something continues for the whole night) The noise continued all night long!
▪ late at night We often get to bed very late at night.
▪ at this time of night (=used when something happens very late at night, and you are surprised) Why are you calling me at this time of night?
▪ late/far into the night (=until very late at night) Staff worked late into the night to make necessary repairs.
▪ in the middle of the night She woke up suddenly in the middle of the night.
▪ in/at the dead of night literary (=in the middle of the night when it is quiet) He drove through the countryside in the dead of night.
▪ day and night/night and day (=all the time) The phones rang day and night.
▪ morning, noon, and night (=all the time) She nagged at him morning, noon, and night.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

night

night [night nights] [naɪt] [naɪt] noun uncountable, countable
1. the time between one day and the next when it is dark, when people usually sleep
• These animals only come out at night.
• They sleep by day and hunt by night.
• The accident happened on Friday night.
• on the night of 10 January/January 10
• Did you hear the storm last night?
• I lay awake all night.
• Where did you spend the night?
• You're welcome to stay the night here.
• What is he doing calling at this time of night?
• You'll feel better after you've had a good night's sleep.
• The trip was for ten nights.
• The hotel costs €65 per person per night.
• the night train/boat/flight

• Night fell (= it became dark).

2. the evening until you go to bed
• Let's go out on Saturday night.
• Bill's parents came for dinner last night.
• She doesn't like to walk home late at night.
• I saw her in town the other night (= a few nights ago).
• I'm working late tomorrow night.

see also goodnight

3. an evening when a special event happens
• the first/opening night (= of a play, film/movie, etc.)
• a karaoke night
• an Irish/a Scottish, etc. night (= with Irish/Scottish music, entertainment, etc.)
see also stag night
more at it'll be all right on the night at all right _adj., dance the night away at dance _v., in the/at dead of night at dead _n., morning, noon and night at morning, spend the night togetherspend the night with sb at spend _v., the still of the night at still _n., things that go bump in the night at thing
Idioms: day and night ▪ have a bad night ▪ have a night on the tiles ▪ have an a late night ▪ night and day ▪ night night ▪ night out
Derived Word: nights
Word Origin:
Old English neaht, niht, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch nacht and German Nacht, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin nox and Greek nux.
Thesaurus:
night noun
1. U, C
• Where did you spend the night?
night-time • • the middle of the night • • midnight • • the early hours • |informal the small hours •
Opp: day
in the night/night-time/middle of the night/early hours/small hours
at night/night-time/midnight
(well) into the night/early hours/small hours
Night, night-time or the middle of the night? A night can be seen as either a completed or a continuing period of time; night-time is seen as a continuing, not a completed period; the middle of the night is a point in time during the night:
• I lay awake all night.
• during the night/night-time
¤ during the middle of the night
2. U, C
• She came round for dinner last night.
evening • • dusk • • twilight • • sunset • |especially AmE, especially written sundown • |literary nightfall •
Opp: morning
at night/dusk/twilight/sunset/sundown/nightfall
tomorrow/yesterday/Monday night/evening
night/evening/dusk falls
Night or evening? Evening emphasizes the earlier hours, from about 6 pm onwards; night emphasizes the later part of the evening and can include the early hours of the next day
• We were up late last night and didn't get to bed till 2 am.
Night can also mean the whole time till it gets light
• I'm going to my sister's for the evening (= and coming back later in the evening).
• I'm going to my sister's for the night (= and not coming back until the morning).

Example Bank:
• Ask your Mum if you can stay the night.
• Fancy a night out?
• He had plans to spend a quiet night at home.
• He spent another lonely night in front of the television.
• I lie awake at night worrying.
• I saw her the other night.
• I think I'll have an early night.
• I was getting myself ready for a night out.
• I woke in the night.
• One fateful night he was involved in an accident that changed his life forever.
• Paris by night
• She doesn't like to walk home late at night.
• She kissed him good night.
• The hotel costs €265 per person per night.
• The night fell quickly.
• They decided to make a night of it and went on to a club.
• They spent the night in Bristol.
• a drunken night of partying
• the last night of the play's run
• Did you hear the storm last night?
• I lay awake all night.
• I'm taking the night train.
• I'm working late tomorrow night.
• My mother-in-law came for dinner last night.
• Some nights he comes home late.
• These animals only come out at night.
• They sleep by day and hunt by night.
• What is he doing calling at this time of night?
• Where did you spend the night?
• Where were you on the night of 10 January?
• You'll feel better after a good night's sleep.
• You're welcome to stay the night here.

Example Bank:

• She works nights.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

night / naɪt / noun [ C or U ] (DARK PERIOD)

A1 the part of every 24-hour period when it is dark because there is very little light from the sun:

It gets cold at night.

I slept really badly last night.

I spent the night at Ted's.

He took the night ferry/train.

night / naɪt / noun (EVENING)

A1 [ C or U ] the period of time between the late afternoon and going to bed; the evening:

Shall we go dancing on Saturday night?

We've been out every night this week.

She's a singer in a bar by night and a secretary by day.

[ S ] the evening on which a special event happens:

When's the last night of your show?

The first/opening night of her new film was a great success.

night-night child's expression

used as another way of saying good night, usually by or to children

the other night on one evening recently:

I saw Naomi at the club the other night.

a night out an evening spent at a restaurant, theatre, etc. rather than staying at home:

Let's have a night out together on Saturday - we could go dancing.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

night

/naɪt/
(nights)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
The night is the part of each day when the sun has set and it is dark outside, especially the time when people are sleeping.
He didn’t sleep a wink all night...
The fighting began in the late afternoon and continued all night...
Our reporter spent the night crossing the border from Austria into Slovenia...
Finally night fell.
N-VAR

2.
The night is the period of time between the end of the afternoon and the time that you go to bed, especially the time when you relax before going to bed.
So whose party was it last night?...
Demiris took Catherine to dinner the following night.
N-COUNT

3.
A particular night is a particular evening when a special event takes place, such as a show or a play.
The first night crowd packed the building.
...election night.
N-COUNT: supp N

4.
If it is a particular time at night, it is during the time when it is dark and is before midnight.
It’s eleven o’clock at night in Moscow...
He works obsessively from 7.15 am to 9 or 10 at night.
PHRASE: num PHR

5.
If something happens at night, it happens regularly during the evening or night.
He was going to college at night, in order to become an accountant...
The veranda was equipped with heavy wooden rain doors that were kept closed at night.
PHRASE: PHR after v

6.
If something happens day and night or night and day, it happens all the time without stopping.
Dozens of doctors and nurses have been working day and night for weeks...
He was at my door night and day, demanding my attention.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v

7.
If you have an early night, you go to bed early. If you have a late night, you go to bed late.
I’ve had a hell of a day, and all I want is an early night...
In spite of the travelling and the late night, she did not feel tired.
PHRASE: N inflects

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹night /ˈnaɪt/ noun, pl nights
1 : the time of darkness between one day and the next : the part of the day when no light from the sun can be seen and most people and animals sleep

[noncount]

• Who are you calling at this time of night?
• It's eleven o'clock at night.
• She and her husband both work at night and sleep during the day.
• The store's open all night.
• They were up all night long playing video games.
• People keep coming back night after night. [=every night for a period of time]

[count]

• Let's stop for the night and get a hotel.
• a cold, rainy night in the city
• Where were you (on) the night of June 20th?
• The room costs $100 a/per night. = The room costs $100 for one night.
• I stayed up late five nights in a row.
• We were woken up in the middle of the night by a loud crash. = (less commonly) We were woken up in the dead of night by a loud crash.
• Did you have a good night's sleep? [=did you sleep well during the night?]
• Last night, I had the strangest dream.
• I had a late night [=I stayed up very late] last night.
• Let's call it an early night. = Let's make an early night of it. [=let's go home or go to bed early tonight]
• Let's call it a night. [=let's go home or go to bed now]
• She'll have to spend/stay the night in the hospital. [=she will have to sleep overnight in the hospital]
• He spent many sleepless nights worrying about his children. [=he lay awake at night worrying about his children]
• Spend six nights and seven days on a tropical island in the Caribbean!
• He spent the night with [=had sex with and slept with] her.
• They decided to spend the night together. [=they decided to have sex and sleep together]
2 [noncount] : the darkness that occurs during the nighttime
• They walked out into the night.
• Her eyes were as black/dark as (the) night.
• animals that hunt by night [=in darkness]
• When night fell [=when the sky became dark for the night; at nightfall], we walked back to our car.
3 [count] : the final part of the day that is usually after work, school, etc., and before you go to bed : the early part of the night : evening
• They go bowling every Tuesday night.
• Friday nights, we play cards with the neighbors.
• What did you have for dinner last night?
• He planned a night of dinner and dancing.
• We've planned a night out. [=an evening that you spend outside of your home doing something fun]
4 [count]
a : an evening or night that has a special event
• Poetry night [=the night when people read poetry aloud] at the café is every Saturday at eight o'clock.
• Wednesday night is our family night. [=the night that our family does things together]
• Tuesday night is ladies' night at the ballpark/bar. [=on Tuesday evening, women get a special benefit at the ballpark/bar, such as paying only half price for something]
• Tomorrow is the play's opening night. [=the play will be performed in front of an audience for the first time tomorrow night]
b : the part of a special day that occurs during the nighttime
• Christmas night
• They spent their wedding night in a hotel.
- compare eve 2
day and night or night and day
- see day
night night or nighty night
- used by a child or when speaking to a child as a way of saying “good night”
• “Night night, dear.” “Nighty night, Mommy.”
the still of the night