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diurnal

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
di·ur·nal  (d-ûrnl)
adj.
1. Relating to or occurring in a 24-hour period; daily.
2. Occurring or active during the daytime rather than at night: diurnal animals.
3. Botany Opening during daylight hours and closing at night.
n.
1. A book containing all the offices for the daily canonical hours of prayer except matins.
2. Archaic
a. A diary or journal.
b. A daily newspaper.

[Middle English, from Late Latin diurnlis, from Latin diurnus, from dis, day; see dyeu- in Indo-European roots.]

di·urnal·ly adv.

diurnal [daɪˈɜːnəl]
adj
1. happening during the day or daily
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) (of flowers) open during the day and closed at night
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) (of animals) active during the day Compare nocturnal
n
(Christianity / Roman Catholic Church) a service book containing all the canonical hours except matins
[from Late Latin diurnālis, from Latin diurnus, from diēs day]
diurnally  adv

diurnal  (d-ûrnl)
1.
a. Occurring once in a 24-hour period; daily.
b. Having a 24-hour cycle. The movement of stars and other celestial objects across the sky are diurnal.
2. Most active during the daytime. Many animals, including the apes, are diurnal.
3. Having leaves or flowers that open in daylight and close at night. The morning glory and crocus are diurnal. Compare nocturnal.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.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
nocturnal - belonging to or active during the night; "nocturnal animals are active at night"; "nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day"
2.diurnal - having a daily cycle or occurring every day; "diurnal rotation of the heavens"
periodic, periodical - happening or recurring at regular intervals; "the periodic appearance of the seventeen-year locust"

diurnal
adjective
1. daytime, active during the day, non-nocturnal Kangaroos are diurnal animals
2. daily, regular, everyday, circadian, quotidian the diurnal life of monasteries
Translations
diurnal [daɪˈɜːnl] ADJdiurno
diurnal [daɪˈɜːrnəl] adj (formal)diurne
diurnal
adj (liter: = of the daytime) → Tages-; the earth’s diurnal rotationdie tägliche Umdrehung der Erde
n (Eccl) → Diurnal(e) nt


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During the day the animals obsequiously followed the shadow of the smallest tree as it moved round the stem with the diurnal roll; and when the milkers came they could hardly stand still for the flies.
There is an abstruse astrologer that saith, If it were not for two things that are constant (the one is, that the fixed stars ever stand a like distance one from another, and never come nearer together, nor go further asunder; the other, that the diurnal motion perpetually keepeth time), no individual would last one moment.
She had his companionship no longer; I esteemed it a duty to supply its lack, as much as possible, with mine: an inefficient substitute; for I could only spare two or three hours, from my numerous diurnal occupations, to follow her footsteps, and then my society was obviously less desirable than his.
 
 
 
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