Gloam
/ɡloʊm/noun
The twilight or partial darkness between daylight and night.
Did you know?The related word “gloaming,” especially preserved in Scots, became strongly associated with the mysterious, liminal hour when ordinary landscapes seem transformed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷel-
“To shine or glow; a reconstructed root associated with radiance and changing light.”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*glōaną
“To glow or shine faintly.”
Old English
Old English
glōm
“Twilight, especially the dimness before night.”
Middle English
Middle English
gloum / glome
“Twilight, dusk, or gathering darkness.”
16th Century
English
gloam
“To grow dark; later, the dim light of twilight.”
Modern English
English
gloam
“Twilight or dusk; a poetic term for fading daylight.”