Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Evening?

\E"ven*ing\, n. [AS. [=ae]fnung. See {even}, n., and cf. {Eve}.] 1. The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly, the decline of the day, or of the sum. In the ascending scale Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose. --Milton. Note: Sometimes, especially in the Southern parts of the United States, the afternoon is called evening. --Bartlett. 2. The latter portion, as of life; the declining period, as of strength or glory. Note: Sometimes used adjectively; as, evening gun. ``Evening Prayer.'' --Shak. {Evening flower} (Bot.), a genus of iridaceous plants ({Hesperantha}) from the Cape of Good Hope, with sword-shaped leaves, and sweet-scented flowers which expand in the evening. {Evening grosbeak} (Zo["o]l.), an American singing bird ({Coccothraustes vespertina}) having a very large bill. Its color is olivaceous, with the crown, wings, and tail black, and the under tail coverts yellow. So called because it sings in the evening. {Evening primrose}. See under {Primrose}. {The evening star}, the bright star of early evening in the western sky, soon passing below the horizon; specifically, the planet Venus; -- called also {Vesper} and {Hesperus}. During portions of the year, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are also evening stars. See {Morning Star}.