Egyptian darkness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ɪˌd͡ʒɪpʃn̩ ˈdɑːknəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /əˌd͡ʒɪpʃən ˈdɑɹknəs/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Egyptian (adjective) + darkness, referring to the ninth of the ten Plagues of Egypt which God inflicted on the Egyptians to convince the Pharaoh to free the enslaved Israelites, described in Exodus 10:21–23 of the Bible (King James Version, spelling modernized): “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven: and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
Meanings
-
(dated, uncountable) Very intense darkness; pitch darkness.
Except for the shaft of light thrown by her own headlamps, the darkness was Egyptian.
1933, Dorothy Sayers, Murder Must Advertise, Harcourt, Brace, page 146:'An Egyptian darkness,' Demyan Lukich remarked, lifting the blind a little.
1970, Margarete Orga, editor, The House on the Fontanka, Kimber, page 67:
Relateds
Translations (2)
ru тьма еги́петская (very intense darkness (cognates) — see also pitch darkness) · pl egipskie ciemności (very intense darkness (cognates) — see also pitch darkness)