afternoon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the part of the day between noon and evening

   I spent a quiet afternoon in the park.

2. 2
   noun

   The part of the day from noon or lunchtime until sunset, evening, or suppertime or 6pm.

   Theſe men ſerue God in the forenoone, and the diuell in the after noone;

3. 3
   noun

   The later part of anything, often with implications of decline.

   Buck.[…]Theſe both put by a poore petitioner A care-crazd mother of a many children, A beauty-waining and diſtreſſed widow, Euen in the afternoone of her beſt daies Made priſe and purchaſe of his luſtfull eye, Seduc t the pitch and height of al his thoughts, To baſe declenſion and loathd bigamie, By her in his vnlawfull bed he got.

4. 4
   adv

   In the afternoon.

   I stayd at home till noone, and recᵈ of Crowders for 3 loods of shilling 2l. 8s.; and afternoone I went with my wife to Wakefeild, where by yᵉ way I spent at Toppitt 8d., and wee lay at Jackson’s all night.

5. 5
   noun

   a conventional expression of greeting or farewell

6. 6
   noun

   A party or social event held in the afternoon.

7. 7
   intj

   Ellipsis of good afternoon.

Etymology

From Middle English afternone, after-non, equivalent to after- + noon.