noun Break of day; the dawn.

What does it mean that dawn is breaking?

phrase. The break of day or the break of dawn is the time when it begins to grow light after the night.

What does the word dawn refer to?

The noun dawn refers to the first light of day, or the first time period, like the dawn of a new era, which occurs when a new president takes office. Not just the beginning of a day, the noun dawn can refer to any beginning, like the dawn of the Internet era.