Forenoon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːnuːn/

Definitions

1. The period of time between sunrise and noon on any given day
2. The time span occurring after sunrise and before midday represents a specific part of the day
3. This interval pertains to the hours after dawn and leading up to noon, highlighting a segment of daylight
4. The span of hours that takes place after night and concludes before midday represents the early part of the day

Etymology: "Forenoon" is a plain compound, and its interest lies in the second half. "Noon" came into English from Old English "non", which was itself borrowed from Latin "nona", meaning the ninth hour of the day counted from sunrise. Because monastic services were held at that hour, the word moved from a counting of time to a fixed point on the clock, which is why "noon" ended up meaning midday. "Fore-" is an old English prefix meaning "before", so "forenoon" literally means "before noon". The word was formed in Middle English as "forenone", and it has kept the same sense ever since: the stretch of the day from sunrise up to midday, rather than a single moment.

Synonyms: morning, midday

Antonyms: afternoon, evening