Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night.
Pope.
(b) Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance. (c) A state of
affliction; adversity; as, a dreary night of sorrow. (d) The period
after the close of life; death.
She closed her eyes in everlasting night.
Dryden.
(e) A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems to sleep.
"Sad winter's night". Spenser.
Night is sometimes used, esp. with participles, in the formation of
self-explaining compounds; as, night- blooming, night-born,
night-warbling, etc.
Night by night, Night after night, nightly; many nights.
So help me God, as I have watched the night, Ay, night by night, in
studying good for England.
Shak.
-- Night bird. (Zoöl.) (a) The moor hen (Gallinula chloropus). (b) The
Manx shearwater (Puffinus Anglorum). -- Night blindness. (Med.) See
Hemeralopia. - - Night cart, a cart used to remove the contents of
privies by night. -- Night churr, (Zoöl.), the nightjar. -- Night crow,
a bird that cries in the night. -- Night dog, a dog that hunts in the
night, -- used by poachers. -- Night fire. (a) Fire burning in the
night. (b) Ignis fatuus; Will-o'-the-wisp; Jask-with-a- lantern. --
Night flyer (Zoöl.), any creature that flies in the night, as some
birds and insects. -- night glass, a spyglass constructed to
concentrate a large amount of light, so as see objects distinctly at
night. Totten. -- Night green, iodine green. -- Night hag, a witch
supposed to wander in the night. -- Night hawk (Zoöl.), an American
bird (Chordeiles Virginianus), allied to the goatsucker. It hunts the
insects on which it feeds toward evening, on the wing, and often,
diving down perpendicularly, produces a loud whirring sound, like that
of a spinning wheel. Also sometimes applied to the European
goatsuckers. It is called also bull bat. -- Night heron (Zoöl.), any
one of several species of herons of the genus Nycticorax, found in
various parts of the world. The best known species is Nycticorax
griseus, or N. nycticorax, of Europe, and the American variety (var.
nævius). The yellow-crowned night heron (Nycticorax violaceus) inhabits
the Southern States. Called also qua-bird, and squawk. -- Night house,
a public house, or inn, which is open at night. -- Night key, a key for
unfastening a night latch. -- Night latch, a kind of latch for a door,
which is operated from the outside by a key. - - Night monkey (Zoöl.),
an owl monkey. -- night moth (Zoöl.), any one of the noctuids. -- Night
parrot (Zoöl.), the kakapo. -- Night piece, a painting representing
some night scene, as a moonlight effect, or the like. -- Night rail, a
loose robe, or garment, worn either as a nightgown, or over the dress
at night, or in sickness. [Obs.] -- Night raven (Zoöl.), a bird of ill
omen that cries in the night; esp., the bittern. -- Night rule. (a) A
tumult, or frolic, in the night; -- as if a corruption, of night revel.
[Obs.] (b) Such conduct as generally rules, or prevails, at night.
What night rule now about this haunted grove?
Shak.
-- Night sight. (Med.) See Nyctolopia. -- Night snap, a night thief.
[Cant] Beau. & Fl.
-- Night soil, human excrement; -- so called because in cities it is
collected by night and carried away for manure. -- Night spell, a charm
against accidents at night. -- Night swallow (Zoöl.), the nightjar. --
Night walk, a walk in the evening or night. -- Night walker. (a) One
who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist; a noctambulist. (b) One who
roves about in the night for evil purposes; specifically, a prostitute
who walks the streets. -- Night walking. (a) Walking in one's sleep;
somnambulism; noctambulism. (b) Walking the streets at night with evil
designs. -- Night warbler (Zoöl.), the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus
phragmitis); -- called also night singer. [prov. Eng.] -- Night watch.
(a) A period in the night, as distinguished by the change of watch. (b)
A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night. -- Night watcher,
one who watches in the night; especially, one who watches with evil
designs. -- Night witch. Same as Night hag, above.
Night"-bloom`ing (?), a. Blooming in the night.
Night-blooming cereus. (Bot.) See Note under Cereus.
Night"cap` (?), n. 1. A cap worn in bed to protect the head, or in
undress.