or darks, darky, subs. (old).—The night; also twilight.

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  1567.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), p. 84. Bene Lightmans to thy quarromes, in what lipken hast thou lypped in this DARKEMANS, whether in a lybbege or in the strummell?

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  1609.  DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight. ‘Canting Rithmes.’

        Enough—with bowsy Cove maund Nace,
Tour the Parting Coue in the DARKEMANS Case.

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  1706.  E. COLES, English Dictionary, s.v.

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  1815.  SCOTT, Guy Mannering, ch. xxviii. I think we should be down upon the fellow, one of these DARKMANS, and let him get it well.

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  1857.  Punch, 31 Jan., ‘Dear Bill, this Stone Jug.’ And at DARKMANS we run the rig just as we please.

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  ENGLISH SYNONYMS.  Blackmans; blind; blindman’s holiday (twilight).

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  FRENCH SYNONYM.  La sorgue, or sorne.

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  GERMAN SYNONYMS.  Mittelaile (midnight); Choschech, Chauschech, or Koschech (from the Hebrew choschach = a moonless night); Eref (specifically the eve of a Sabbath or festival); Fichte (literally a fir-tree); Ratt (Gypsy); Schwärze = (the black ’un); Zofon or Zofen (from Hebrew zophan = to hide).

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  ITALIAN SYNONYMS.  Bruna or brunora (Fr. brune); materna (properly = the maternal.

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  SPANISH SYNONYM.  Sorna.

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  PORTUGUESE SYNONYM.  Zona.

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