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definitions

diurnal

[ dahy-ur-nl ]
/ daɪˈɜr nl /
|

adjective

of or relating to a day or each day; daily.
of or belonging to the daytime (opposed to nocturnal).
Botany. showing a periodic alteration of condition with day and night, as certain flowers that open by day and close by night.
active by day, as certain birds and insects (opposed to nocturnal).

noun

Nearby words

  1. ditzy,
  2. diu,
  3. diuresis,
  4. diuretic,
  5. diuril,
  6. diurnal arc,
  7. diurnal circle,
  8. diurnal motion,
  9. diurnal parallax,
  10. diuron

Origin of diurnal

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin diurnālis, equivalent to diurn(us) daily + -ālis -al1
Related forms
Can be confuseddiurnal nocturnal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for diurnally

  • I think we should diurnally station a good London band on high, and play his Majesty to bed—the sun.

    Evan Harrington, Complete|George Meredith

  • Mountain and valley breezes furnish another example of diurnally reversed winds.

    Meteorology|Charles Fitzhugh Talman

  • It had never before dawned upon us that we thus added three uncounted miles to our fourteen diurnally counted ones.

    Lippincott's Magazine, December, 1885|Various

British Dictionary definitions for diurnally

diurnal

/ (daɪˈɜːnəl) /

adjective

happening during the day or daily
(of flowers) open during the day and closed at night
(of animals) active during the dayCompare nocturnal

noun

a service book containing all the canonical hours except matins
Derived Formsdiurnally, adverb

Word Origin for diurnal

C15: from Late Latin diurnālis, from Latin diurnus, from diēs day
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for diurnally

diurnal

adj.

late 14c., from Late Latin diurnalis "daily," from Latin dies "day" + -urnus, an adjectival suffix denoting time (cf. hibernus "wintery"). Dies "day" is from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine" (cf. Sanskrit diva "by day," Welsh diw, Breton deiz "day;" Armenian tiw; Lithuanian diena; Old Church Slavonic dini, Polish dzień, Russian den), literally "to shine" (cf. Greek delos "clear;" Latin deus, Sanskrit deva "god," literally "shining one;" Avestan dava- "spirit, demon;" Lithuanian devas, Old Norse tivar "gods;" Old English Tig, genitive Tiwes, see Tuesday).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for diurnally

diurnal

[ dī-ûr′nəl ]

adj.

Having a 24-hour period or cycle; daily.
Occurring or active during the daytime rather than at night.
Related formsdi•ur′nal•ly adv.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for diurnally

diurnal

[ dī-ûr′nəl ]

  1. Occurring once in a 24-hour period; daily.
  2. Having a 24-hour cycle. The movement of stars and other celestial objects across the sky are diurnal.
Most active during the daytime. Many animals, including the apes, are diurnal.
Having leaves or flowers that open in daylight and close at night. The morning glory and crocus are diurnal. Compare nocturnal.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.