Daylight is the natural light that comes from the sun during the day. When you wake up and see brightness streaming through your window, that's daylight. It starts appearing at dawn, grows brightest at midday, and fades away at dusk.

Daylight matters more than you might think. It helps regulate your body's internal clock, telling you when to feel alert and when to feel sleepy. Plants need daylight for photosynthesis. Architects design buildings to maximize daylight because it saves energy and makes spaces feel more pleasant.

The amount of daylight changes throughout the year. Summer days have more daylight, while winter days have less. Near the equator, daylight hours stay fairly constant year-round, but in places like Alaska, summer brings nearly 24 hours of daylight, while winter has only a few hours.

People also use daylight in expressions. Daylight saving time is when we move clocks forward in spring to make better use of evening daylight. To scare the daylights out of someone means to frighten them badly. And if you see daylight between two runners in a race, there's a visible gap showing one person's lead.