'Dawning' definitions:

Definition of 'dawning'

noun

The first light of day; "we got up before dawn"; "they talked until morning" [syn: dawn, dawning, morning, aurora, first light, daybreak, break of day, break of the day, dayspring, sunrise, sunup, cockcrow] [ant: sundown, sunset]

From: GCIDE

Dawn \Dawn\ (d[add]n), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Dawned (d[add]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Dawning.] [OE. dawnen, dawen, dagen, daien, AS. dagian to become day, to dawn, fr. d[ae]g day; akin to D. dagen, G. tagen, Icel. daga, Dan. dages, Sw. dagas. See Day. [root]71.]
1. To begin to grow light in the morning; to grow light; to break, or begin to appear; as, the day dawns; the morning dawns. [1913 Webster]
In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene . . . to see the sepulcher. --Matt. xxviii. 1. [1913 Webster]
2. To began to give promise; to begin to appear or to expand. "In dawning youth." --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
When life awakes, and dawns at every line. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid. --Heber, [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

dawning \dawn"ing\ n. the first light of day; dawn.
Syn: dawn, morning, aurora, first light, daybreak, break of day, break of the day, dayspring, sunrise, sunup, cockcrow. [WordNet 1.5]