▪ I. dusk, a. and n.
(dʌsk)
Forms: 3 deosc, deosk, dosc, 3–6 dosk, 5–6 duske, doske, 6– dusk.
[Origin and phonetic history obscure.
OE. had in the same, or an allied sense, dox, which, if = *dosc, would repr. an OTeut. *dusko-z:—Aryan *dhuskos, to which Kluge refers also L. fuscus. The relation of mod. dusk to OE. dox, *dosc, presents some difficulties, both as to the vowel, and, still more, in regard to the final consonant-group. Few of our words in -sk are of OE. origin; OE. -sc normally gives -sh in later English, e.g. in ash, dish, fish, bush, rush; so that from OE. dosc we should expect dosh, or, at least, as in the case of ask and tusk, ME. and mod. forms in -sh, and -x, beside the -sk form.]
A. adj. (Now largely supplanted by dusky.)
1. Dark from absence of light; dim, gloomy, shadowy; dark-coloured, blackish; dusky. (Now usually in reference to twilight: cf. B. 2.)
| [a 1000 Aldhelm Gloss (Anglia XIII. 28 No. 8) Furva, dohx. ― OE. Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 239/35 Flava specie, of glæteriendum vel scylfrum hiwe vel doxum.] a 1225 Ancr. R. 94 Þe sihðe þæt is nu deosc her. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 259 Aȝein þe brihtnesse ant te liht of his leor, þe sunne gleam is dosc. a 1450 Fysshynge w. Angle (1883) 34 The body of doske wull. 1496 Bk. St. Albans, Fishing 9 Yelowe: grene: browne: tawney: russet: and duske colours. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. Prol. 63 The grund stude barrand, widderit, dosk and gray. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 741 Vapour and Exhalation, dusk and moist. 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 72 As soon as it grew dusk. 1832 H. Martineau Ireland v. 79 Every evening, as it became dusk. 1847 Tennyson Princess ii. 5 As rich as moths from dusk cocoons. |
| fig. 1573–80 Baret Alv. D 1375 Wisedome is made duske, or dimme by drinking of wine: it is obscured and darkened. |
† 2. Obscure, veiled from sight or understanding.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 148 Þis word is deosk. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 62 My mother, the godesse (who was accustomed algats Eare this tyme present to be dusk). |
B. n. 1. The quality of being dusk; that which is dusk; duskiness, shade; gloom (as of a forest).
| 1700 Dryden Palamon & A. iii. 77 Freckles..Whose dusk set off the whiteness of the skin. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. I. 25 Frail Mortality will always have some Remains of Shadow and Dusk. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. ii, And in the dusk of thee [Old Yew], the clock Beats out the little lives of men. |
2. a. The darker stage of twilight before it is quite dark at night, or when the darkness begins to give way in the morning.
| 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. II. 313 In the duske of the evening. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 218, I would not fail waiting on her the Sunday following, after Dusk. 1833 J. Rennie Alph. Angling 21 Light colours in the dusk of morning or evening, and dark colours in..bright weather. 1893 Law Times XCV. 268/2 The gardens of Lincoln's Inn will..be thrown open..from three until dusk. |
| fig. 1755 Young Centaur v. Wks. 1757 IV. 233 To grope out our weary way, through the dusk of life, to our final home. |
b. attrib., as
dusk-hour,
dusk-light,
dusk-time.
| 1881 A. B. & S. Evans Leics. Words 143 *Dusk-hour, late evening twilight. ‘Ah shouldn' like to mate his oogly mug upo' dusk-hour in a daa'k leane.’ |
| 1937 W. de la Mare Poems, Perhaps 'twas the talk of chance farers..In the *dusk-light clear? 1957 J. Kerouac On Road (1958) iv. vi. 300 We saw all of Mexico City stretched out..spewing city smokes and early dusklights. |
| 1890 J. D. Robertson Gloss. Gloucester 42 *Dusk time, evening. |
Hence
ˈduskly adv.;
ˈduskness.
| 1382 Wyclif Job xxiii. 17 Dusknesse couerede my face. 1531 Elyot Gov. iii. xxii, Paynfull diseases and sickenesses..duskenesse of sight. 1844 Mrs. Browning Drama of Exile Wks. 1889 I. 42 Shapes which have no certainty of shape Drift duskly in and out between the pines. 1864 Neale Seaton. Poems 68 Duskness and dreariness around. 1880 W. Watson Prince's Quest 58 An eagle with wide wings outspread Athwart the sunfire hovering duskly red. |
▪ II. dusk, v. [f. dusk a.; OE. had doxian, from dox. See Kluge Engl. Studien XI. 511.] 1. intr. To become dusk or dim; to grow dark.
| [a 1000 Vercelli MS. lf. 2 b, Þonne wannað he [dead body] and doxaþ; oðre hwile he bið blæc and schiwe.] c 1230 Hali Meid. 35 Þine ehnen schulen doskin. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1948 Dusked hise eyen two and failled breeth. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. iv. (1544) 6 b, By process of yeres Their memory hath dusked. 1876 Morris Sigurd iii. 217 The even dusketh o'er that sword-renowned close. 1888 G. Gissing Life's Morning xi. (1890) 169 When it began to dusk, Hood descended and supper was prepared. |
b. To exhibit a dusky appearance.
| 1832 Tennyson Lady of Shalott i, Little breezes dusk and shiver. 1889 Mrs. Randolph New Eve I. Prol. 2 A copse of aspens dusked and shivered near the brink. |
2. trans. To make dusky or somewhat dark in colour; to darken, obscure; to
dim.| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. i. 2 (Camb. MS.) The whiche clothes a dirknesse of a forletyn and a despised Elde hadde dusked and derked. 1549 Chaloner Erasm. on Folly Q iv b, They goe about to duske mens eies with smoke. 1577 Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed (1807–8) VI. 51 You must not think that..you may so easilie duske or dazell our eies. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 9 That shadow which dusketh the light of the Moone. 1869 Lowell Cathedral xiii, Poet. Wks. 1890 IV. 47 The painted windows..Dusking the sunshine which they seem to cheer. |
b. fig. To obscure, darken, cloud, sully.
| c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 563 Þe..poyntes of scheldes Wiþdrawen his deuocion & dusken his herte. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) C vij b, The onely vnderstandyng, which is dusked in errours. 1680 Counterplots 33 [It] would..dusk the lustre of his Name. 1848 Lytton K. Arthur xii. lv, One appalling silence dusk'd the place As with A demon's wing. |
Hence
ˈdusked ppl. a.;
ˈdusking vbl. n. and ppl. a.| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 204 (Mätz.) Hire cote armure is duskyd reed. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 72 b, Duskynge of the eyes, head aches, hotte and thyn reumes. 1566 Drant Horace's Sat. v. D iij, The worlde is blearde with duskyng shoes [= shows]. 1820 Keats Hyperion ii. 375 Who travels from the dusking East. |