The AI-powered English dictionary
countable and uncountable, plural nights
(countable) The time when the sky is dark. quotations examples
The Bat—they called him the Bat. Like a bat he chose the night hours for his work of rapine; like a bat he struck and vanished, pouncingly, noiselessly; like a bat he never showed himself to the face of the day.
1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, page 01
Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34
(astronomy, countable) The period of darkness beginning at the end of evening astronomical twilight when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon, and ending at the beginning of morning astronomical twilight. examples
(law, countable) A period of time often defined in the legal system as beginning 30 minutes after sunset, and ending 30 minutes before sunrise. examples
(countable) An evening or night spent at a particular activity. quotations examples
From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52
(countable) A day, or at least a night. examples
(uncountable) Nightfall. examples
(uncountable) Darkness (due to it being nighttime). examples
(uncountable) A dark blue colour, midnight blue. examples
(sports, colloquial) A night's worth of competitions, generally one game. examples
Ellipsis of good night. examples
third-person singular simple present nights, present participle nighting, simple past and past participle nighted
To spend a night (in a place), to overnight. quotations examples
So I took seat and ate somewhat of my vivers, my horse also feeding upon his fodder, and we nighted in that spot and next morning I set out[.]
1885, Richard F. Burton, Arabian Nights, in 16 volumes, published 2008, page 284