Chiefly literary and poetic. The darkness that prevails at this time, the dark; (also) the night air.

The darkest part of the night; (also more generally) the darkness of night. Also figurative.

plural. The darkness of night; the growing darkness after sunset.

literary. The shade or darkness of night. Also figurative.

In plural. the shades (of night, of evening, etc.): the darkness of night; the growing darkness after sunset. Also figurative.

Twilight, dusk; dim or poor light. In early use sometimes: †the cover of night, the dark (obsolete). Also figurative.

Chiefly with the. Darkness, esp. that of night.