Definition of Diurnal

1. Adjective. Of or belonging to or active during the day. "Diurnal and nocturnal offices"

Category relationships: Biological Science, Biology
Antonyms: Nocturnal

2. Adjective. Having a daily cycle or occurring every day. "Diurnal rotation of the heavens"
Similar to: Periodic, Periodical

Definition of Diurnal

1. a. Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal; as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours.

2. n. A daybook; a journal.

Definition of Diurnal

1. Adjective. Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time. ¹

2. Adjective. (botany) Said of a flower open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night. ¹

3. Adjective. Having a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset. ¹

4. Adjective. (uncommon) Done once every day; daily, quotidian. ¹

5. Adjective. (archaic) Published daily. ¹

6. Noun. A flower that opens only in the day. ¹

7. Noun. (context: Catholicism) A book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins. ¹

8. Noun. (archaic) A diary or journal. ¹

9. Noun. (archaic) A daily news publication. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Diurnal

1. a diary [n -S] - See also: diary

Medical Definition of Diurnal

1. Occurring during the day. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Diurnal

diulose
diuloses
diuranate
diuranates
diureide
diureides
diureses
diuresis
diuretic
diuretic drug
diuretical
diuretically
diuretick
diuretics
diurna
diurnal (current term)
diurnal arc
diurnal arcs
diurnal enuresis
diurnal parallax
diurnal periodicity
diurnal rhythm
diurnal variation
diurnalist
diurnalists
diurnally
diurnalness
diurnals
diurnation
diurnule

Literary usage of Diurnal

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London by Royal Society (Great Britain) (1869)
""On the diurnal and Annual Inequalities of Terrestrial Magnetism, as deduced from observations made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, ..."

2. Bulletin by United States Weather Bureau (1902)
"The diurnal periods of all these elements except perhaps the temperature have been a ... The curves on Chart 29 of the diurnal pressure at the equator, ..."

3. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1857)
"The diurnal inequality is not large ; indeed, though easily recognized at ... Those of the Pacific coast are remarkably regular in the semi-diurnal and ..."

4. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society by Royal Meteorological Society (Great Britain) (1901)
"The result is that the two diurnal cyclones are crowded together in high latitudes in winter, and three, instead of two, diurnal maxima of pressure are ..."

5. Report of the Annual Meeting (1861)
"On the diurnal Variation» of the Magnetic Declination at the Magnetic Equator, and the Decennial Period, By JOHN ALLAN BROUN, F.tt. ..."

6. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1888)
"Inasmuch, however, as the total diurnal inequality of declination (which is in reality the element giren by these early observations) does not greatly ..."

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