morning : 1. The first part of the day, beginning at twelve o'clock at night and extending to twelve at noon. Thus we say, a star rises at one o'clock in the morning. In a more limited sense, morning is the time beginning an hour or two before sunrise, or at break of day, and extending to the hour of breakfast and of beginning the labors of the day. Among men of business in large cities, the morning extends to the hour of dining. 2. The first or early part.
forenoon : The former part of the day, from the morning to meridian or noon. We usually call the first part of the day, from the dawn to the time of breakfast, or the hour of business, the morning, and from this period to noon, the forenoon. But the limits are not precisely defined by custom.
noon : 1. The middle of the day; the time when the sun is in the meridian; twelve o'clock. 2. Dryden used the word for midnight. "At the noon of night."
after-noon : The part of the day which follows noon, between noon and evening.
evening : The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly the decline or fall of the day, or of the sun. The evening and the morning were the first day. Gen.1. The precise time when evening begins, or when it ends, is not ascertained by usage. The word often includes a part at least of the afternoon, and indeed the whole afternoon; as in the phrase, "The morning and evening service of the sabbath." In strictness, evening commences at the setting of the sun, and continues during twilight, and night commences with total darkness. But in customary language, the evening extends to bed-time, whatever that time may be. Hence we say, to spend an evening with a friend; an evening visit. 1. The decline or latter part of life. We say, the evening of life, or of one's days. 2. The decline of any thing; as the evening of glory.
night : 1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise. 2. The time after the close of life; death. John 9. She closed her eyes in everlasting night. 3. A state of ignorance; intellectual and moral darkness; heathenish ignorance. Romans 13. 4. Adversity; a state of affliction and distress. Isaiah 21. 5. Obscurity; a state of concealment from the eye or the mind; unintelligibleness.
midnight : The middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.