The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly, the decline of the day, or of the sun. [1913 Webster]
" Sometimes, especially in the Southern parts of the United States, the afternoon is called evening." Bartlett. [1913 Webster]

"In the ascending scale
Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose." [1913 Webster]
The latter portion, as of life; the declining period, as of strength or glory. [1913 Webster]
" Sometimes used adjectively; as, evening gun. “Evening Prayer.”" Shak. [1913 Webster]

Evening flower (Bot.), a genus of iridaceous plants (Hesperantha) from the Cape of Good Hope, with sword-shaped leaves, and sweet-scented flowers which expand in the evening. -- Evening grosbeak (Zoöl.), an American singing bird (Coccothraustes vespertina) having a very large bill. Its color is olivaceous, with the crown, wings, and tail black, and the under tail coverts yellow. So called because it sings in the evening. -- Evening primrose. See under Primrose. -- The evening star, the bright star of early evening in the western sky, soon passing below the horizon; specifically, the planet Venus; -- called also Vesper and Hesperus. During portions of the year, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are also evening stars. See Morning Star.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

evening, n. & int.
--n.
1 the end part of the day, esp. from about 6 p.m. to bedtime (this evening; during the evening; evening meal).
2 this time spent in a particular way (had a lively evening).
3 a time compared with this, esp. the last part of a person's life.
--int. = good evening (see GOOD adj. 14).

Idiom

evening dress formal dress for evening wear. evening primrose any plant of the genus Oenothera with pale yellow flowers that open in the evening. evening star a planet, esp. Venus, conspicuous in the west after sunset.

Etymology

OE {aelig}fnung, rel. to EVEN(2)

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THESAURUS

evening

accommodation, adjustment, afternoon, balancing, close of day, cockshut, coordination, crepuscular, dimpsy, dusk, duskiness, duskness, dusky, equalization, equalizing, equating, equation, equilibration, eve, even, evening up, evensong, eventide, gloaming, grayness, harmonization, integration, nightfall, party, reception, regularization, salon, setting sun, shut of day, soiree, sundown, sunset, sunsetty, symmetrization, the expiring day, twilight, twilighty, vesper, vespertine

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ROGET THESAURUS

evening

Evening

N evening, eve, decline of day, fall of day, close of day, candlelight, candlelighting, eventide, nightfall, curfew, dusk, twilight, eleventh hour, sunset, sundown, going down of the sun, cock-shut, dewy eve, gloaming, bedtime, afternoon, postmeridian, p, m, autumn, fall, fall of the leaf, autumnal equinox, Indian summer, St. Luke's summer, St. Martin's summer, midnight, dead of night, witching hour, witching hour of night, witching time of night, winter, killing time, vespertine, autumnal, nocturnal, midnight, the outpost of advancing day, sable-vested Night, this gorgeous arch with golden worlds inlay'd.

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