noun
third cockcrow
Refers to the third crowing of a rooster, traditionally marking the approach of dawn. A literary or historical term, not used in everyday conversation.
三番鶏が鳴く頃、ようやく空が白み始めた。
Around the time of the third cockcrow, the sky finally began to lighten.
Standard kanji spelling using 鶏 (chicken).
Variant using 鳥 (bird); less specific but still encountered.
Compound of 三番 (third) and 鶏/鳥 (chicken/bird). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows the pattern of counting cockcrows to mark time before dawn.