alba

dawn

noun AHL-bah Rare

Origin: From Latin alba (white), referring to the whitening of the sky.

Also means

daybreak

Usage Note

Alba is feminine, but takes el in the singular when the following word would create a vowel clash: el alba (like el agua). At plural it reverts: las albas. It is more literary than amanecer and appears in poetry and set phrases: al alba (at dawn). The plural albas is rare outside liturgical contexts.

Examples

"Partieron al alba para evitar el calor."

Natural Translation

They set off at dawn to avoid the heat.

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