vespertine

adjective

ves·per·tine ˈve-spər-ˌtīn

1

: of, relating to, or occurring in the evening

vespertine shadows

2

: active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening : crepuscular

Did you know?

Imagine this vespertine scenario: Hesperus, the Evening Star, shines in a clear sky; little brown bats flutter near the treetops; somewhere in the distance a church bell calls worshippers to the evening service. Can you find three words that have linguistic counterparts to the Latin root vesper, which means "evening," hidden in that scene? The evening star was once known as Vesper (Hesperus is from the Greek word for "evening star"); vespertilian means "batlike" (the Latin name for a bat is vespertilio); and we still call an evening worship service vespers.

Word History

Etymology

Latin vespertinus, from vesper

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of vespertine was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Vespertine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vespertine. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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