The evening is the period of the day between late afternoon and nighttime, when the sun sets and darkness gradually arrives. It's that time when the sky often glows orange and pink, when families gather for dinner, and when the air starts to cool after a warm day.

Evening typically begins around 5 or 6 PM and lasts until you go to bed, though people don't all agree on the exact hours. Some families eat dinner in the early evening, while others eat later. Weekend evenings might mean movie time or board games, while school night evenings usually include homework and getting ready for the next day.

As a verb, even can mean the process of making something flat or equal. When you're evening out frosting on a cake, you're spreading it to make the surface smooth and level. A teacher might even out the teams for kickball to make sure both sides have a fair chance of winning.

People often describe evening with words that capture its particular feeling: a quiet evening at home, a long summer evening when it stays light late, or a crisp autumn evening when you first need a jacket. There's something peaceful about evening: the busy part of the day has passed, but the night hasn't fully arrived yet.