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Webster 1913 Edition


Diurnal

Di-ur′nal

,
Adj.
[L.
diurnalis
, fr.
dies
day. See
Deity
, and cf.
Journal
.]
1.
Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; – opposed to
nocturnal
;
as,
diurnal
heat;
diurnal
hours.
2.
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.
Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring
Their fiery torcher his
diurnal
ring.
Shakespeare
3.
(Bot.)
Opening during the day, and closing at night; – said of flowers or leaves.
4.
(Zool.)
Active by day; – applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects.
Syn. – See
Daily
.

Di-ur′nal

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
diurnal
a prayerbook. See
Diurnal
,
Adj.
]
1.
A daybook; a journal.
[Obs.]
Tatler.
2.
(R. C. Ch.)
A small volume containing the daily service for the “little hours,” viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline.
3.
(Zool.)
A diurnal bird or insect.

Webster 1828 Edition


Diurnal

DIURNAL

,
Adj.
[L., daily.]
1.
Relating to a day; pertaining to the daytime; as diurnal heat; diurnal hours.
2.
Daily; happening every day; performed in a day; as a diurnal task.
3.
Performed in 24 hours; as the diurnal revolution of the earth.
4.
In medicine, an epithet of diseases whose exacerbations are in the day time; as a diurnal fever.

DIURNAL

,
Noun.
A day-book; a journal. [See Journal, which is mostly used.]

Definition 2024


diurnal

diurnal

English

Adjective

diurnal (comparative more diurnal, superlative most diurnal)

  1. Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.
    Most birds are diurnal.
  2. (botany) Said of a flower open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night.
  3. Having a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset; circadian.
  4. (uncommon) Done once every day; daily, quotidian.
  5. (archaic) Published daily.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:diurnal.

Synonyms

  • (having a daily cycle): circadian (biology)

Antonyms

Derived terms

Coordinate terms

Translations

Noun

diurnal (plural diurnals)

  1. A flower that opens only in the day.
  2. (Catholicism) A book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins.
  3. (archaic) A diary or journal.
    • 1663, Hudibras, by Samuel Butler, part 1, canto 2
      He was by birth, some authors write, / A Russian, some a Muscovite, / And 'mong the Cossacks had been bred, / Of whom we in diurnals read.
  4. (archaic) A daily news publication.

Translations