nights
n. countablen. the period of time between sunset and sunrise when it is dark outside. You use the plural form to talk about things that happen repeatedly during this time.
n. the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. Often used adverbially in the plural to indicate a habitual occurrence during these hours.
The baby sleeps well during the nights.
He works the late shift on Tuesday nights and usually sleeps until noon the next day.
The desert temperature drops significantly during the nights, creating a harsh contrast with the blistering heat experienced by travelers during the daylight hours.
Inherited from Middle English nightes, from Old English nihtes (“at night, by night”), equivalent to night + -s (adverbial genitive suffix). Cognate with Old Frisian nachtes, Old Saxon nahtes, German nachts (all “nights, at night”).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Often used without a preposition in informal contexts to mean 'every night' or 'during the night'.
I work at the nightsI work at nightWhen speaking generally about the time of day, use the singular 'at night' without an article; 'the nights' refers to specific, countable periods.