tonight, adv. and n.
(təˈnaɪt, tʊ-)
Forms: see night. Also as two words and with hyphen.
[OE. tó niht, to prep. A. 7 + night. Cf. today.]
A. adv.
1. On this very night (i.e. the night now present).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 11246 (Cott.), I bring yow word wit ioi and blis, Born to night your sauueour es! 1670 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 83 Much Wind to Night at Northwest. 1797 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1846) VII. p. cxlv, Half past 3 a.m. I was merely a spectator to⁓night. 1832 Tennyson May Queen ii. ii, To-night I saw the sun set. 1842 ― Audley Court 69, I go to-night: I come to-morrow morn. |
b. On any night (as contrasted with the next day). Cf. today A. 1 b.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxiii. 5 And with thy nychtbouris glaidly len and borrow His chance to nycht it may be thyne tomorrow. 1557 North Gueuara's Diall Pr. i. xxviii. (1568) 41 For many are layde to nighte into their graue, which the next day following [are] thought to be aliue. |
2. On the night following this day.
| c 1000 ælfric Numb. xxii. 19 Ac beoþ her toniht, and abidaþ andsware. c 1000 ― Hom. II. 104 Ðu stunta, nu toniht [Luke xii. 20 on þisse nihte] ðu scealt ðin lif alætan. c 1205 Lay. 709 Anacletus leofe freond to-niht þu scalt faren. c 1275 Passion of Our Lord 104 in O.E. Misc. 40 He me schal bitraye to nyht er he slepe. c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 495, I sall cum out..to morn, Or ellys to nycht. 1539 Bible (Great) Ruth iii. 2 Beholde, he wenoweth barleye to nyght in the thresshyng floure. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. i. 201 Last night she slept not, nor to night she shall not. 1605 ― Macb. i. v. 59 Duncan comes here to Night. 1876 Morris Sigurd (1877) 237 Tonight shall be the weaving, and tomorn the web shall ye win. |
† 3. On the night just past; last night. (Perhaps only said in the morning.) Obs. exc. dial.
| c 1205 Lay. 28011 Þa axede hine an uæir cniht, Lauerd hu hauest þu iuaren to-niht? c 1290 Beket 1542 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 150 To-niȝt ase ich was a-slepe a wonder metinge me com. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 73 No mannes myht Mai do that he hath do to nyht. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. iv. 50. I dreampt a dreame to night. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. i. ii, Sub... The Queene of Faerie do's not rise, Till it be noone. Fac. Not, if she daunc'd to night. 1641 Brome Jovial Crew iii. Wks. 1873 III. 393 Ease call'st thou it? Didst thou sleep to night? 1798 J. Jefferson Let. to J. Boucher 23 Feb. (MS.), [Hampshire expressions] To-night for last night, or yesternight. |
B. n. This night, or the night after this day.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3543 (Cott.) Þou sal neuer forth fra to night In þi forbirth do claim na right. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iii. 142 Sweet Sir Toby be patient for to night. 1709 Prior Thief & Cordelier ix, He that's hang'd before noon, ought to think of to-night. 1799 Wordsw. Lucy Gray iv, To-night will be a stormy night—You to the town must go. 1908 [Miss E. Fowler] Betw. Trent & Ancholme 212 To⁓night is cloudy and dull. |