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Midnight

Colours
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Midnight is the deepest, almost black blue of the sky at the darkest hour, associated with secrecy, stillness, and profound night.

Detailed Definition
Midnight as a color term compresses the entire atmosphere of the deepest night into a single word. Poets use it for cloaks, eyes, or the sky itself when they wish to evoke absolute darkness without the finality of pure black. The temporal reference keeps the darkness alive with the possibility of dreams, secrets, or the slow turning toward dawn.
Example
Example in poetry:
Midnight as a color compresses the deepest hour of night; A poet might write “midnight silk of the unlit street,” giving darkness temporal and textural presence; In contemplative verse “the midnight stillness between two heartbeats” isolates profound quiet; Educational line: “her midnight eyes held every unsaid word” transfers the absolute dark onto human depth; Pair with verbs of deepening or holding to emphasize its living darkness.
Additional Notes
Midnight as a color term compresses the atmosphere of the darkest hour into a single word, suggesting secrecy, stillness, and living darkness rather than pure black. Tip: employ midnight for cloaks, eyes, or sky when absolute black would feel too final; the temporal reference keeps the darkness open to dreams or the approach of dawn. Related terms include indigo and jet; midnight is more atmospheric. Professors can discuss its effectiveness in creating temporal depth, turning a hue into a marker of profound night.
Other Meanings of “Midnight”
Also Known As
Deep Night Witching Hour Darkling Shade Starless Black boxcars
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