noun
Literary or poetic term for the break of day; not used in everyday conversation. The reading ふっきょう is obsolete.
払暁の空が白み始めた。
The sky at dawn began to lighten.
払暁の静けさの中で、鳥が一羽鳴いた。
In the stillness of daybreak, a single bird sang.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 払 (to clear away) and 暁 (dawn) together suggest the clearing of night at daybreak.