DictionarysetDisappearing below the horizon
verb

set

Move below the horizon, as the sun does.

The sun sets behind the ridge as the valley darkens.

Etymology

The verb for placing or settling acquired a use for the Sun’s apparent descent. Sunset is pictured as the Sun settling below the visible horizon.

More examples

  • We watched the moon set over the water.
  • By the time we returned, the sun had set.
  • The stars seemed to set beyond the distant hills.

Forms

set · sets · setting

Similar words

descend
Means move downward without necessarily crossing the horizon.
sink
Sink similarly describes downward apparent movement without the astronomical specificity.