1 gloaming | Definition of gloaming

gloaming

noun
gloam·​ing | \ ˈglō-miŋ How to pronounce gloaming (audio) \

Definition of gloaming

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Did You Know?

If "gloaming" makes you think of tartans and bagpipes, well lads and lasses, you've got a good ear and a good eye; we picked up "gloaming" from the Scottish dialects of English back in the Middle Ages. The roots of the word trace to the Old English word for twilight, "glōm," which is akin to "glōwan," an Old English verb meaning "to glow." In the early 1800s, English speakers looked to Scotland again and borrowed the now-archaic verb gloam, meaning "to become twilight" or "to grow dark."

Examples of gloaming in a Sentence

lovers would often retreat to the gloaming of the park's many secluded recesses to steal a kiss with the gloaming came the familiar call of the whip-poor-will

Recent Examples on the Web

For now, Nadal has a 24-15 edge in head-to-head matches, and Federer has a 2-1 edge at Wimbledon, having defeated Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 finals before losing in the gloaming in 2008. Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "A Long-Awaited Wimbledon Rematch: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal," 10 July 2019 Now, in the gloaming of Friday evening, the Northern Irishman was inching towards the cut mark, one nail-biting, stomach-churning birdie at a time. Rob Hodgetts, CNN, "Emotional Rory McIlroy feels 'love' in dramatic late Open bid," 19 July 2019 In the gloaming, these white jumpsuits, moving irregularly amid the deep green of the manicured grounds, brought to mind an avant-garde film about a lunatic asylum: the inmates, in their hospital gowns, out for a constitutional. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "Inside the Cultish Dreamworld of Augusta National," 14 June 2019 For a time, the cardinal intermittently pierced the dark silence of the gloaming with its calls, but then went silent. Philip Chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A cardinal's song, or a spiritual experience?," 5 July 2018 The fans at the panel’s sides were making a faint whinging sound, still blowing as the last of the solar power worked in the gloaming light. Ryan Bradley, WIRED, "Can Humans Survive on Water Vapor Alone?," 8 Mar. 2018 Lawrence Taylor, Anderson and many others reached the gloaming of their careers. David J. Neal, miamiherald, "Super Bowl history game-by-game, from Packers to Patriots | Miami Herald," 30 Jan. 2018 There was a soft breeze in the gloaming; the heat was finally off the day. Andrew Mccarthy, New York Times, "Up Close With the Tribes of Ethiopia’s Imperiled Omo Valley," 30 Oct. 2017 During a special teams segment at the end of practice Sammy Baugh, a quarterback with the Redskins from 1937 through ’52 but also a record-setting punter, boots a high spiral into the gloaming. Tim Layden, SI.com, "The MMQB All-Time Draft: The Ultimate Football Fantasy," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gloaming.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of gloaming

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for gloaming

Middle English (Scots) gloming, from Old English glōming, from glōm twilight; akin to Old English glōwan to glow

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More from Merriam-Webster on gloaming

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with gloaming

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gloaming