Meanings
plural forenights · alternative fore-night
- ScotlandThe evening time, between twilight and bedtime.
the rancher, who has sheep to lose, sits shivering in his log house through the long forenights with a Marlin rifle handy, while the famished timber wolves prowl about his clearing.
1909, Harold Edward Bindloss, “Chapter 1”, in The Greater Power2 more examples
Yes, it is a low fire with an immense iron crane over it, on which half a dozen pots at a time can swing in comfort; a hearth on which logs of wood and peat can burn, a hearth that a dozen happy and contented faces can scarce encircle on a winter's forenight.
1895, William Gordon Stables, “Book I”, in On to the Rescue: A tale of the Indian Mutiny“Then I minded the tales my father used to tell me in the winter forenight of Wicked Wat Fergus of Craignesslin, how he used to rise from his bed and blow his horn and ride off to the Whig-hunting
1900, S. R. Crockett, The House on the Muir
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Old Englishforanniht
- Middle Englishfore-niht
- Englishforenight
From Middle English fore-niht, from Old English foranniht, equivalent to fore- + night. Cognate with Dutch voornacht, German Vornacht.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
forenight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forenight
“forenight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forenight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forenight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forenight.
Source: forenight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.