goodnight

See also: Goodnight and good night

English

Etymology

From good +‎ night.

Phrase

goodnight

1. Alternative spelling of good night
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 142, column 2:

     I pray you ſpeake not: he growes worſe & worſe / Queſtion enrages him: at once, goodnight.

   • 1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, “Lodge 341, Vermissa”, in The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC, part II (The Scowrers), page 213:

     So goodnight to you—and goodnight, Councilor.

   • 1932, Goodnight, Vienna:

Derived terms

• goodnight nurse

 

Noun

goodnight (plural goodnights)

1. An instance of saying “good night”; a nighttime farewell.
   • 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], Adam Bede […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC:

     At last the pupils had all taken their hats and said their “Goodnights,” and Adam, knowing his old master's habits, rose and said, “Shall I put the candles out, Mr. Massey?”

   • 1873, E. H. D. Kay, Emma Simonet, Twilight Stories, page 153:

     The afternoon passed into evening, and the sparrows began to twitter their goodnights in their lodgings on the roof and crevices of the chimney; […]

   • 1919, Monica M. Gardner, The Anonymous Poet of Poland: Zygmunt Krasinski, page 114:

     George wakes, hearing the confused goodnights of the departing guests.

   • 1999, Wanda Coleman, Mambo Hips and Make Believe: A Novel, →ISBN, page 100:

     Ray and Josh spoke their goodnights.

Verb

goodnight (third-person singular simple present goodnights, present participle goodnighting, simple past and past participle goodnighted)

1. Alternative spelling of good-night
   • 1961 January 29, Annie Kendall, “Parade Rest”, in The Christian: International Weekly of the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), volume 99, number 5, St. Louis, Mo.: The Christian Board of Publication, page (155) 27:

     With each one goodnighted / Including the pup, / Baby is sleeping / Bottom up.

   • 1979, Kyril Bonfiglioli, “After you with the pistol”, in The Mortdecai Trilogy, Black Spring Press, published 1991, pages 338–339:

     Then he goodnighted me, I changed into pyjamas and in a trice was sleeping the sleep of the unjust, which is quite as dreamless as the sleep of the just if the unjust sleeper has a litre of Red Hackle on his bedside table.

   • 2010 fall, Jo Laskowski, “Hardy Fern Foundation Garden Tour, August 2010”, in Hardy Fern Foundation Quarterly, volume 20, number 4, page 85:

     After eight hours of intense viewing, o-o-hing, and scribbling down plant names and ideas, a spent group of participants returned to our cars, goodnighted, and went our separate ways.

Anagrams

• Good Thing