Cockshut

/ˈkɒkʃʌt/ noun

Definition

The time of day when roosters go to roost, typically dusk or twilight; the period between day and night.

Etymology

From 'cock' (rooster) + 'shut' (to close). Refers to when roosters close themselves into their coop for the night, marking the boundary between daylight and darkness.

Kelly Says

Before electric lights, 'cockshut' was an actual unit of time used by farmers and rural people—it marked the moment when farm work had to stop because visibility disappeared, making it a natural end to the workday.

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