golden hour
/ˈɡoʊl.dən ˈaʊ.ər/
noun
Origin
English
gold + hour — The precious time of day colored by gold sunlight
Overview
Meaning Now
- The period shortly after sunrise or before sunset during which daylight is softer, redder, and more diffused than when the sun is higher in the sky.
- In emergency medicine, a period of one hour or less following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
golden hour
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term originated in the arts and photography to describe the magical quality of light favored by painters and photographers. Its application in trauma care became standard in the 20th century to emphasize the urgency of surgical intervention.
Evolution
- Old English
gylden
“made of gold”
- Middle English
houre
“a period of time”
from Old French 'houre'
- 19th century
golden hour
“photographic term for favorable lighting”
Coined to describe the aesthetic quality of late afternoon light
- 1970s
golden hour
“emergency medicine window”
Popularized by R. Adams Cowley
Connections
Word parts
gold
root
precious yellow metal
-en
suffix
made of
hour
root
unit of time
Related across languages
German
goldene Stunde
golden hour
Related words
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Related to golden hour
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.