false dawn

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A thin ambient light which precedes true dawn, typically by around an hour, in certain parts of the world.
  2. Something engendering premature hope; a promising sign which in fact leads to nothing.

Word forms

false dawn false dawns

Etymology

From false + dawn, calque of Arabic صُبْح كَاذِب (ṣubḥ kāḏib).

Synonyms

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