darken

darken
darken c. 1300, "to make dark;" late 14c., "to become dark," from DARK (Cf. dark) + -EN (Cf. -en) (1). The more usual verb in M.E. was simply dark (O.E. deorcian), as it is in Chaucer and Shakespeare, and darken did not predominate until 17c. The Anglo-Saxons also had a verb sweorcan meaning "to grow dark." To darken someone's door (usually with a negative) is attested from 1729.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Darken — Dark en (d[aum]rk n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Darkened} ( nd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Darkening} ( n*[i^]ng).] [AS. deorcian. See {Dark}, a.] 1. To make dark or black; to deprive of light; to obscure; as, a darkened room. [1913 Webster] They [locusts]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • darken — ► VERB 1) make or become darker. 2) cast a shadow over; spoil. 3) become unhappy or angry. ● never darken someone s door Cf. ↑never darken someone s door …   English terms dictionary

  • darken — [där′kən] vi. to become dark or darker vt. 1. to make dark or darker 2. to make blind not darken someone s door or not darken someone s doorway not come to someone s home darkener n …   English World dictionary

  • Darken — Dark en, v. i. To grow or darker. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • darken — index depress, obfuscate, obnubilate, obscure, shroud, tarnish Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • darken — *obscure, dim, bedim, eclipse, cloud, becloud, fog, befog, obfuscate Antonyms: illuminate Contrasted words: enlighten, illumine (see ILLUMINATE): elucidate, *explain …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • darken — [v] become shaded, unlit becloud, bedim, blacken, cloud over, cloud up, deepen, dim, eclipse, fog, gray, haze, make dim, murk, obfuscate, obscure, overcast, overshadow, shade, shadow, tone down*; concept 469 Ant. brighten, illuminate, lighten,… …   New thesaurus

  • Darken — For other uses, see Darken (disambiguation). Darken Author(s) Kate Ashwin Website http://www.darkencomic.com/ Current status / schedule Weekly updates …   Wikipedia

  • darken — UK [ˈdɑː(r)kən] / US [ˈdɑrkən] verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms darken : present tense I/you/we/they darken he/she/it darkens present participle darkening past tense darkened past participle darkened 1) to become darker, or to make… …   English dictionary

  • darken — darkener, n. /dahr keuhn/, v.t. 1. to make dark or darker. 2. to make obscure. 3. to make less white or clear in color. 4. to make gloomy; sadden: He darkened the festivities by his presence. 5. to make blind. v.i. 6. to become dark or darker. 7 …   Universalium

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