[eve.ning] n, often attrib [ME, fr. OE aefnung, fr. aefnian to grow toward evening, fr. aefen evening; akin to OHG aband evening and perh. to Gk epi on] (bef. 12c) 1 a: the latter part and close of the day and early part of the night b chiefly Southern & Midland: afternoon c: the period from sunset or the evening meal to bedtime
2: the latter portion
3: the period of an evening's entertainment
[2]evening adj (1797): suitable for formal or semiformal evening social occasions "~ dress" "~ clothes"