sun-up
When roosters crow
Sun-up is an informal word for sunrise or dawn—the time when the sun appears above the horizon.
It's used especially in rural and Southern American English to mark the start of the working day: We'll head out at sun-up.
The term pairs naturally with sundown to bracket the daylight hours.
Morning's first light
- horizonApparent earth-sky meeting
- glowSteady, soft light
- twilightLight after sunset
- auroraAtmospheric light display
crepuscule · glimmer · streaks · rosy · amber · eastern · skyline · cockcrow
Initial point of something
- commencementAct of starting
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- dawningFirst light emerging
- adventNotable arrival or emergence
genesis · launch · inception · inauguration · origin · kickoff · preamble · introduction
Regaining consciousness from sleep
- stirringArousing strong emotion
- risingAct of ascending
- alertnessActive mental awareness
- rousingExciting strong feeling
stretching · yawning · birdsong · consciousness · arousal · animation · quickening · energizing
daybreak
Morning's first light
aurora · crepuscule · glimmer · streaks · rosy · amber · eastern · skyline · cockcrow · early
outset
Initial point of something
- commencementAct of starting
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- dawningFirst light emerging
advent · genesis · launch · inception · inauguration · origin · kickoff · preamble · introduction
waking
Regaining consciousness from sleep
rousing · stretching · yawning · birdsong · consciousness · arousal · animation · quickening · energizing · invigoration
breakfast
Day's first eating
commute · chores · rooster · farmwork · jogging · shower · newspaper · workday · schedule · congee
- dawndaybreak, dawn, first light, dayspring, break of day