Definition of diurnal Diurnal

/dajɚˈnʌl/ - [dayernul] - di•ur•nal

We found 22 definitions of diurnal from 7 different sources.

What does diurnal mean?

Adjective diurnal, diurnaller, diurnallest
diurnal - of or belonging to or active during the day; "diurnal animals are active during the day"; "diurnal flowers are open during the day and closed at night"; "diurnal and nocturnal offices"
		biological science, biology the science that studies living organisms
diurnal - having a daily cycle or occurring every day; "diurnal rotation of the heavens"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

diurnal (Noun)
A flower that opens only in the day.
diurnal (Noun)
A book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins.
diurnal (Noun)
A diary or journal.
diurnal (Noun)
A daily news publication.
diurnal (Adjective)
Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.
diurnal (Adjective)
Said of a flower open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night.
diurnal (Adjective)
Having a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset.
diurnal (Adjective)
Done once every day; daily, quotidian.
diurnal (Adjective)
Published daily.

diurnal (a.)
Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal; as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours.
diurnal (a.)
Daily; recurring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day; as, a diurnal fever; a diurnal task; diurnal aberration, or diurnal parallax; the diurnal revolution of the earth.
diurnal (a.)
Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves.
diurnal (a.)
Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects.
diurnal (a.)
A daybook; a journal.
diurnal (a.)
A small volume containing the daily service for the "little hours," viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline.
diurnal (a.)
A diurnal bird or insect.

diurnal
Performed in twenty-four hours, such as the diurnal rotation of the Earth.

diurnal
dī-ur′nal, adj. daily: relating to or performed in a day.—n. a service-book containing the day hours, except matins (a night-office): a diary, journal.—n. Diur′nalist, a journalist.—adv. Diur′nally. [L. diurnālis—dies, a day. See Journal.]

Animals that are active during the day are called diurnal. They hunt or feed during the day and sleep during the night. Nocturnal animals do it the other way round.

Scientists sometimes use the word "crepuscular" to describe nocturnal animals that aren't active when it is very dark at night; they are mostly active near dawn, dusk, and sometimes when the moon makes a lot of light.