Search the Dictionary

Of or pertaining to the night, or to every night; happening or done by night, or every night; as, nightly shades; he kept nightly vigils.

One whose business is emptying privies by night.

A fiend or incubus formerly supposed to cause trouble in sleep.

mon name of many species of the genus Solanum, given esp. to the Solanum nigrum, or black nightshade, a low, branching weed with small white flowers and black berries reputed to be poisonous. Deadly nightshade. Same as Belladonna (a). -- Enchanter's nightshade. See under Enchanter. -- Stinking nightshade. See Henbane…

A kind of nightgown for men.

The time from dusk to dawn; -- opposed to Ant: daytime.

Approaching toward night.

A pot companion. [Obs.]

Light, fuel, or food for the whole night. [Obs.] Bacon.

Nigh. [Archaic]

In the night time; at night. [Archaic] Does he hawk anights still Marston.

To involve in darkness; to shroud with the shades of night; to obscure. [Archaic] The clouds benight the sky. Garth.

The condition of being benighted.

The night in which a person is born; the anniversary of that night in succeeding years. The angelic song in Bethlehem field, On thy birthnight, that sung thee Savior born. Milton.

The evening between twilight and bedtime. [Scot.]

The space of fourteen days; two weeks.

Occurring or appearing once in a fortnight; as, a fortnightly meeting of a club; a fortnightly magazine, or other publication. -- adv.

One on whom knighthood, a dignity next below that of baronet, is conferred by the sovereign, entitling him to be addressed as Sir; as, Sir John. [Eng.] Hence:

A knight of the most ancient, but lowest, order of English knights, and not a member of any order of chivalry. See Bachelor, 4.

A knight who carried a banner, who possessed fiefs to a greater amount than the knight bachelor, and who was obliged to serve in war with a greater number of attendants. The dignity was sometimes conferred by the sovereign in person on the field of battle.