zeitgeber
[ tsahyt-gey-ber ]
noun
an environmental cue, as the length of daylight or the degree of temperature, that helps to regulate the cycles of an organism's biological clock.
Origin of zeitgeber
1First recorded in 1970–75; from German (1954), literally, “time-giver,” on the model of Taktgeber “electronic synchronization device, timer, metronome”
Words Nearby zeitgeber
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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