pre-dawnadj.n.adv.

1883 Trenton (New Jersey) Times 6 Oct. It shows that even at that pre dawn period, so to speak, of the world, the Delaware was not dammed at this point.

1920 Times 4 May 19/6 The pre-dawn spirit of unrest is in the air, the moon dips and the owls cease their hooting.

1951 Jrnl. Geophysical Res. 56 325 In the predawn observations, no enhancement is noted in the eastern sky.

1994 H. Holland Born in Soweto i. 17 In the pre-dawn gloom, these settlements are a jumbled mess of corrugated iron, packing crates and cardboard boxes.

1930 R. Macaulay Staying with Relations xvii. 248 In the dark dusk of the pre-dawn little of San José was visible.

1973 G. W. Hart Right from Start i. 30 On we went through October, 1970, the pre-dawn of the campaign.

2003 AMC Outdoors Mag. Oct. 28/2 In the pale light of pre-dawn, Shannon LeRoy paddles her kayak through the thick ‘water smoke’ hovering over Second Roach Pond.

a1972 J. Berryman Delusions (1973) 67 Pickt up pre-dawn & tortured and detained, Mr. Tan Mam and many other students sit tight but vocal in illegal cells.

1992 Washington Post (Nexis) 27 Dec. c1 I am taking Roger to a clinic for a checkup, and I have picked him up pre-dawn in an effort to assure that he will not have been drinking.

2005 Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 27 Mar. v10 In the days when you could pitch a tent on any old beach and wake up pre-dawn to watch the rebirth of the world.