I. eve ‧ ning 1 S1 W1 /ˈiːvnɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: æfnung , from æfen 'evening' ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the early part of the night between the end of the day and the time you go to bed:
I do most of my studying in the evening.
I’m usually out on Friday evenings.
What are you doing tomorrow evening?
Peter left yesterday evening.
I’ll see you this evening.
It was early evening by the time we got home.
We had just finished our evening meal when the doorbell rang.
a broadcast on the evening news
2 . [countable] a social event that takes place in the evening:
a musical evening
an evening of music and poetry
3 . good evening used to greet someone when you meet them in the evening
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + evening
▪ Monday/Friday/Sunday etc evening
They were due to leave on Sunday evening.
▪ tomorrow evening
Would you like to come over tomorrow evening?
▪ yesterday evening
The robbery took place yesterday evening around nine o'clock.
▪ this evening (=today, in the evening)
I'll phone you this evening.
▪ early evening (=the early part of the evening)
We met for a drink in the early evening.
▪ late evening (=the later part of the evening )
By the time we arrived, it was late evening.
▪ a spring/summer etc evening
On a summer evening, the streets are full of people.
▪ a fine/warm/cool etc evening
It was a fine evening, so we decide to eat outside.
■ phrases
▪ in the evening
We met up again later in the evening.
▪ in the evenings (=every evening)
I used to get so bored in the evenings, I just ended up watching TV.
▪ during the evening
Later, during the evening, fighting broke out near the palace.
▪ for the evening
Her parents had gone out for the evening.
▪ on Monday/Friday/Sunday etc evenings (=every Monday, Friday etc.)
We usually meet up for a drink on Friday evenings.
■ verbs
▪ spend an evening (=use an evening doing a particular thing)
He spent many evenings alone in his room.
■ evening + NOUN
▪ an evening meal
I was just preparing the evening meal when the phone rang.
▪ the evening news (=the main radio or television news programme in the evening)
There was a report about the fire on the evening news.
▪ an evening newspaper/paper
I bought an evening newspaper to read on my way home.
▪ the evening rush hour (=the busy time in the evening when a lot of people are travelling home from work)
There's always congestion on the motorways during the evening rush hour.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ have/hold an evening (=organize an event in the evening)
The college is holding an open evening on May 6th for year 9 to 11 pupils.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + evening
▪ a social evening (=an event at which a group of people meet and spend time with each other)
We should organize a social evening to welcome the new members of staff.
▪ a gala evening (=a special entertainment show)
The gala evening featured a performance by the Kirov Ballet.
▪ an open evening (=an evening when an institution invites the public to come in and see the work that is done there)
We went to the open evening to find out more about the course.
▪ a parents' evening (=an event at a school, at which parents meet and talk to their children's teachers)
It was parents' evening at her son's school.
■ evening + NOUN
▪ evening wear/dress (=formal clothes that people wear to social events in the evening)
a shop specializing in glamorous evening wear
▪ an evening suit (=a formal suit that men wear to social events in the evening)
He put on a black evening suit.
II. evening 2 BrE AmE interjection informal
used to greet someone when you meet them in the evening:
Evening, Joe. Everything all right?