pénombre
half-light
noun pay-NOHM-bruh Rare
Origin: From Latin paene (almost) + umbra (shadow).
Also means
penumbra
Usage Note
Pénombre describes the dim, partial light between full light and darkness — a room lit only by a streetlamp, the fading light of dusk. In astronomy it is the penumbra of a partial eclipse. French writers favour it for atmospheric, literary descriptions; the everyday equivalent for simply 'dim' would be lumière tamisée.
Examples
"Il lisait dans la pénombre du soir."
Natural Translation
He was reading in the evening half-light.
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