darken

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Related to darkening: Limb darkening

darken a church door

To attend church or a service therein. I was raised Catholic, but I haven't darkened a church door since I was 15 years old.

darken (one's) door

To visit one as an unwelcome guest. I can't believe she darkened our door and stayed for hours, even though I clearly wanted her to leave!

never darken (one's) door again

To never return to one's home. Don't worry, I've made sure that he'll never darken our door again.

never darken (one's) doorstep again

To never return to one's home. Don't worry, I've made sure that he'll never darken our doorstep again.

See also: again, darken, doorstep, never

never darken (one's) doorway again

To never return to one's home. Don't worry, I've made sure that he'll never darken our doorway again.

not darken the doorstep of (some place)

To not go or never return to some place. I heard the Justice Department is dropping the case, so it looks like he won't be darkening the doorstep of the courthouse anytime soon. I haven't darkened the doorstep of a church since I was 10 years old.

not darken the door of (some place)

To not go or never return to some place. I heard the Justice Department is dropping the case, so it looks like he won't be darkening the door of the courthouse anytime soon. I haven't darkened the door of a church since I was 10 years old.

not darken (one's) door again

To never return to someone's home; to be banished by someone. Don't worry, I've made sure that he won't darken our door again.

darken someone's door

Fig. [for an unwelcome person] to come to someone's door seeking entry. (As if the visitor were casting a shadow on the door. Formal, or even jocular.) Who is this who has come to darken my door? She pointed to the street and said, "Go and never darken my door again!"

darken someone's door

Come unwanted to someone's home, as in I told him to get out and never darken my door again. The verb darken here refers to casting one's shadow across the threshold, a word that occasionally was substituted for door. As an imperative, the expression is associated with Victorian melodrama, where someone (usually a young woman or man) is thrown out of the parental home for some misdeed, but it is actually much older. Benjamin Franklin used it in The Busybody (1729): "I am afraid she would resent it so as never to darken my doors again."

never darken someone's door

never darken someone's doorstep

OLD-FASHIONED

If someone tells you never to darken their door again or never to darken their doorstep again, they are ordering you never to visit them again. The law firm told them to destroy all dossiers and never darken their doorstep again.

not darken somewhere's door

not darken somewhere's doorstep

OLD-FASHIONED

If someone never goes to a place, you can say that they do not darken its door or do not darken its doorstep. He had not darkened the door of a church for a long time. Plenty more cases never darken the doorstep of a courthouse. Note: The image here is of someone's dark shadow falling across the door.

never darken someone's door (or doorstep)

keep away from someone's home permanently.

1988 Salman Rushdie The Satanic Verses They couldn't lock her away in any old folks' home, sent her whole family packing when they dared to suggest it, never darken her doorstep, she told them, cut the whole lot off without a penny or a by your leave.

not/never darken somebody’s ˌdoor aˈgain

(old-fashioned or humorous) not/never come to somebody’s home again because you are not welcome: Go! And never darken my door again!

See also: again, darken, door, never, not

References in periodicals archive ?

It is a very good paper which provides valuable new insights about the physical processes controlling the change in reflectivity of the Greenland ice sheet and specifically its darkening over time," said Eric Rignot, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory who studies ice sheets but was not involved with the new study.

Greenland's Ice Getting Darker, Increasing Risk of Melting

Titan's limb darkening is strikingly obvious in the beautiful series of images they obtained.

Discovery at Titan: was Titan's atmosphere first detected visually?

These reported results reveal that the darkening (and also oxidation) of cellulose-reinforced thermoplastics strongly depends on the chemical structure of the cellulosic reinforcement.

Effects of Coupling Agents on the Oxidation and Darkening of Cellulosic Materials Used as Reinforcements for Thermoplastic Matrices in Composites

He found that the darkening was least rapid in the red end of the spectrum and took place faster and faster as one progressed toward the violet end.

Ultraviolet

It's long been hypothesized that there's a mystery darkening agent that's contributing to Mercury's low reflectance," said Megan Bruck Syal, a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who performed this research while a graduate student at Brown University.

Comet Dust: Planet Mercury's 'Invisible Paint'

After these samples had been artificially aged for 500 hours using an UV-lamp, only one sample, from a paint tube belonging to the Flemish Fauvist Rik Wouters (1882-1913), showed significant darkening.

X-rays reveal why van Gogh paintings are losing their shine

As well as darkening your room, use a lavender pillow inside your pillow case - the smell of lavender has a direct effect on your nervous system, aiding relaxation.

Vital:Health:Ask the Doc: What's the alternative; Dee Atkinson of Napiers Herbalists gives the alternative solution

In many of the cases with no darkening, "the fish didn't really compete," he says.

Fighting salmon fly dark flag to surrender

In response, Dove has introduced Dove Advanced Color Care, a new line of shampoos, conditioners and specialty conditioning treatments that provide customized care for the different effects of lightening and darkening hair.

Dove(R) Advanced Care - A New Premium Line for Whatever Women Do to Their Hair; New Hair Care Hotline from Dove Has All the Answers

Tenders are invited for welding helmet with automatic darkening lens, must fit over a half face resporator.

Welding helmet with automatic darkening

A darkening accompanies the tanning process, but "no one has really pinned it down biochemically," Sloop says.

Crab crackers: scientists take a harder look at stone crab shells

For example, peach or nectarine slices can be frozen on a baking sheet after they have been dipped in a lemon juice and water mixture to prevent darkening.

CHILL : CHILL CHILL OUT: GIVING FRUITS AND VEGGIES THE DEEP FREEZE

Six years ago, restoration scientists working on the century-old statue concluded that acid rain was damaging her thin copper skin, making the metal more susceptible to decay and darkening its color.

Salt, not acid rain, may mottle Ms. Liberty

Intelligent Glass Control uses special films which are inserted into the glass and which change their transparency through electric control signals The selective, incremental darkening of the side and rear windows, as well as parts of the windshield, not only offers considerably increased comfort for passengers, but also makes driving safer, explains Andreas Wolf, head of Continentals Body & Security business unit.

Germany : Continental Creates Intelligent Car Windows

Because the darkening is so complete, the red dwarf must be less than one-hundredth as bright as the white dwarf.