Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Dawn \Dawn\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Dawned}; 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.

            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.

   2. To began to give promise; to begin to appear or to expand.
      ``In dawning youth.'' --Dryden.

            When life awakes, and dawns at every line. --Pope.

            Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid. --Heber,

Source : WordNet®

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