good-night

See also: good night and goodnight

English

Phrase

good-night

1. Archaic form of good night.
   • 1696 [1680], Tho[mas] Otway, The Orphan or, The Unhappy-Marriage. A Tragedy. As It Is Acted at His Royal Highness the Duke’s Theatre., London: […] R. Bentley, […], act III, page 24:

     Good-night! my Friends, Heaven guard ye all! good-night!

   • 1851 April 9, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Maule’s Well”, in The House of the Seven Gables, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, page 107:

     “Good-night, cousin,” said Phœbe, strangely affected by Hepzibah’s manner. “If you begin to love me, I am glad!”

   • 1879, Charlotte M[ary] Yonge, “The Traveller’s Joy”, in Magnum Bonum or Mother Carey’s Brood, volume III, London: Macmillan and Co., page 820:

     They wished her good-night in their several fashions. “Good-night, mother. Well, some people are born with silver spoons!” “Good-night, mother dear. Don’t you think Fordham looks dreadful?” “Oh, no, Armie; much better than when I came up to town.” “Good-night, Mother Carey. If those young folks make all their parties so jolly, it will be the pleasantest house in London! Good-night!”

Verb

good-night (third-person singular simple present good-nights, present participle good-nighting, simple past and past participle good-nighted)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To utter the farewell “good night” to (somebody).
   • 1920, Interlude, page 40:

     And he didn’t say another word until he good-nighted at the gate.

   • 1927, Journal of the Outdoor Life, page 272:

     […] the “Lothario” of the young lady’s temporary choice was good-nighted in her sweetest voice.

   • 1996, Yann Martel, Self, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, page 36:

     We were good-nighted and kissed by the crowd of parents.

Alternative forms

• goodnight