Forms: 1 ǽfnung, 3 eveningue, 4–6 evenyng(e, (7 Sc. e’ening), 3– evening. [OE. ǽfnung, verbal sb. f. ǽfnian ‘to grow towards evening,’ f. ǽfen EVEN sb.
The vb. occurs in K. Ælfred trans. Greg. Dial. (Hatton MS.) I. x, Þa þa se dæʓ æfnode. Also in trans. Bæda de Temp., Sax. Leechdoms III. 260.]
† 1. The coming on of ‘even,’ the process or fact of growing dusk; the time at which this takes place, the time about sunset. Obs.; merged in 2.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. viii. 11. Heo com ða on æfnunge eft to Noe.
c. 1205. Lay., 30419. Riht to þan euening Þa fleh Cadwalan þe king.
c. 1290. Lives Saints (1887), 40. In þe eueningue riȝht Seint Ieme cam to him ride.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. xxvii. 57. Whanne the euenyng was maad, there came a riche man fro Armathia.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1458. To hyt drewe to the evenynge.
2. As a synonym of even, which it has now superseded in ordinary use: The close of the day; usually, the time from about sunset till bedtime.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 144. Evenynge, þe laste parte of þe day.
1553. Duke Northumbld., in Four C. Eng. Lett., 22. Wofull was the newes I receyved this evenynge.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 226. I shall fall Like a bright exhalation in the Euening.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, I. i. § 9. 17. The Pythagoreans … every Evening thrice run over the Actions and Affairs of the Day.
1767–95. Macneill, Will & Jean, II. The tears that now ilk e’ening Bleach’d her lately crimson’d cheek.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xviii. 122. On the evening of the same day.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 111. The only occasion on which people met was at the supper at nine in the evening.
b. transf. and fig. The closing or declining period of a person’s life, or of anything compared to a ‘day.’
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. 97 xi. § 9 (J.). The long day of mankinde drawing fast towards an euening.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VI. (1843), I. 350/1. He was a person of great courage, honour, and fidelity, and not well known till his evening.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 116. The sad evening of a stormy life.
1812. Shelley, Addr. Irish People, 8. The king of Great Britain has arrived at the evening of his days.
1865. Pusey, Truth Eng. Ch., 3. To consecrate the evening of my life to the unfolding of some of the deep truths of God’s Holy Word.
3. An evening spent in a particular way; esp. an evening devoted to the reception and entertainment of friends. Cf. soirée.
1870. Mrs. Riddell, Austin Friars, I. iv. 86. Two or three friends were dropping in to supper; and occasional ‘evenings out.’
1877. Mar. M. Grant, Sun-Maid, xvii. 82/2. The enjoyment of those ‘little evenings,’ as his aunt termed them.
1881. H. James, Portr. Lady, xxxvi. 319. Mrs. Osmond having an ‘evening’—she had taken the Thursday of each week.
1883. J. Hatton, in Harper’s Mag., Nov., 844/2. Smoking parties in bachelors’ quarters and weekly ‘evenings.’
† 4. dial. (See quot.; possibly this belongs to next word.) Obs.
1695. Kennett, Par. Antiq., Gloss., Evenings, the delivery at even or night, of a certain portion of grass or corn to a customary tenant, who performs his wonted service of mowing or reaping for his lord, and at the end of his day’s work receives such a quantity of the grass or corn … as a gratuity or encouragement of his bounden service.
1721–1800. in Bailey; hence in mod. Dicts.
5. attrib. and Comb. a. Simple attrib. or quasi-adj. with sense ‘pertaining to evening, occurring in the evening,’ etc.
1535. Coverdale, Zech. xix. 7. Aboute the euenynge tyme it shal be light.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. ii. 17. Now must we … giue some euening Musique to her eare.
1651. Davenant, Gondibert, II. I. i. 101 (R.). Sunk neer his Evening Region was the Sun.
1677. Gilpin, Dæmonol. (1867), 22. Knowledge … from the effects of things; which, because it is more dark and obscure than that which ariseth from the causes of things, they [the schoolmen] termed evening knowledge.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 521/111. The cool Evening-breeze the Meads renews. Ibid., IV. 627/141. A Shepherd’s Groom Surveys his Ev’ning Flocks returning Home.
1704. Pope, Pastorals, Autumn, 40. The birds shall cease to tune their ev’ning song. Ibid., Winter, 45. No grateful dews descend from ev’ning skies.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), II. 282. We took our Evening-Walk in the Fields.
1712. Addison, Psalm xix. in Spect., No. 465, ¶ 4. Soon as the Evening Shades prevail, The Moon takes up the wondrous Tale.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 83. A day-devourer, and an evening-spy! Ibid. (1728), Dunc., II. 72. At early dawn to drop Her evening cates before his neighbour’s shop.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Elegies, VIII. 5. I saw my friends in ev’ning circles meet.
1804. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 19. My evening prospects now hang on the slender thread of a single life.
1870. Dickens, E. Drood, iv. I have been … wasting my evening conversation on the desert air.
1879. ‘E. Garrett’ (Mrs. Mayo), House by Works, II. 188. Aunt Barbara … took her to the evening classes of the Art School.
b. In various combinations of a more permanent character, chiefly simple attrib., as evening hymn, † -mass, -prayer, -sacrifice, -service, etc.; also evening bird (see quot.); evening dress, the costume prescribed by fashion to be worn in the evening; † evening end, app. the western end (of a mine work); evening flower, a genus of plants (Hesperantha, N.O. Iridaceæ) so called because its flowers expand early in the evening; † evening glade, ? some atmospherical phenomenon seen in the evening; evening gun (see quot.); evening-lighted ppl. a., illuminated by the light of the evening; evening party, a social gathering beginning some time in the evening (cf. 3); evening-primrose (see quot. 1872); † evening-song = EVENSONG; evening-star, applied with definite article to Venus, with indef. art. also to Jupiter and Mercury, when seen in the west after sunset, also fig.; evening-tide = EVENTIDE.
1884. Girl’s Own Paper, Feb., 227/2. The gecko … is sometimes known as the *‘Evening Bird.’
1880. Mrs. Forrester, Roy & V., I. 11. ‘Have you no *evening-dress?’ asks Netta.
1693. Copper Mines, ii. in Phil. Trans., XVII. 741. Which Seam or Vein did go from the *Evening-end to the Morning-end of the said Work.
1847. Craig, Hesperantha, The *Evening-flower.
1866. in Treas. Bot.
1714. Phil. Trans., XXIX. 66. In the next place he mentions the *Evening Glade.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. iii. 203. The Master of the Pink was prevailed on to omit firing the *evening gun.
1810. Naval Chron., XXIII. 121. The guard ship fires evening and morning guns.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Evening Gun. The warning-piece, after the firing of which the sentries challenge.
1832. Tennyson, Margaret. From the *evening-lighted wood.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. i. 38. Shall I come to you at *euening Masse?
1871. Temple Bar, May, 229. In all places where Londoners do congregate, whether at dinner or *evening parties.
1879. F. W. Robinson, Coward Consc., II. vii. In true evening-party fashion.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. ii. 100. A ciuill modest wife … that will not misse you morning nor *euening prayer.
1872. Oliver, Elem. Bot., II. 172. The expansion of the flowers in the evening only, of Common Œnothera … hence called *Evening Primrose.
1882. Garden, 22 July, 64/3. The Evening Primrose covers the ground with large pale lemon flowers.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Esdras viii. 72. I sat still full of heuines vntill the *euenynge sacrifice.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, I. ii. 53. St. Aubert read, in a low and solemn voice, the *evening service.
1634. Canne, Necess. Separ. (1849), 89. To use it as Papists did their matins and *evening song.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., II. ii. § 61. Untill the Evening song be finished, for then the Ecclesiastical solemnity is over.
c. 1740. Shenstone, Rape Trap. When the bell rung For evening song, His dinner scarce was ended.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxiv. [lxv.] 8. Thou makes both the mornynge and *euenynge starres to prayse ye.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 519. Till the amrous Bird of Night … bid haste the Evening Starr On his Hill top.
1781. Cowper, Retirement, 46. Ere we yet discern life’s evening star.
1812. Woodhouse, Astron., xxiii. 240. Venus: This brilliant star when seen in the west setting soon after the sun, is known by the name of the Evening Star.
1819. Byron, Juan, I. cxxii. ’Tis sweet to see the evening star appear.
1886. Whitaker’s Almanac, 17. Venus is an evening star in the first half of the month [February].
1552. Huloet, *Euenynge tyde, or euen tyde.
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. xi. 2. It came to passe in an euening tide, that Dauid arose from off his bed.
1743. R. Blair, Grave, 716. Behold him in the evening-tide of life.
a. 1800. Cowper, Moralizer Corrected, 12. To serious thought at evening-tide.
Hence (nonce-wds.) Eveningless a., without an evening; Eveningly adv., every evening.
1825. Blackw. Mag., XVIII. 441. And eveningless that sunny noon of heart.
1777. Elphinston, Brit. Liberty, 182. What then shall become of those … intelligencers,… who eveningly, morningly, (who not noonly?) and daily, dispense … the new system of politics, the antipodes of polity?
1844. J. T. Hewlett, Parsons & W., II. xxviii. 162. He consults his master daily, or, more correctly, eveningly, on the work to be done on the following morning.
