Adjacent Words

Diurnal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

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

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: 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" [ant: nocturnal]
2: having a daily cycle or occurring every day; "diurnal rotation of the heavens"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin diurnalis — more at journal Date: 14th century 1. a. recurring every day <diurnal tasks> b. having a daily cycle <diurnal tides> 2. a. of, relating to, or occurring in the daytime <the city's diurnal noises> b. active chiefly in the daytime <diurnal animals> c. opening during the day and closing at night <diurnal flowers> • diurnally adverb II. noun Date: 1600 1. archaic diary, daybook 2. journal 2a

NOAA Weather Glossary

Daily; related to actions which are completed in the course of acalendar day, and which typically recur every calendar day (e.g., diurnal temperaturerises during the day, and falls at night).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of or during the day; not nocturnal. 2 daily; of each day. 3 Astron. occupying one day. 4 Zool. (of animals) active in the daytime. 5 Bot. (of plants) open only during the day. Derivatives: diurnally adv. Etymology: ME f. LL diurnalis f. L diurnus f. dies day

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Parallax Par"al*lax, n. [Gr. ? alternation, the mutual inclination of two lines forming an angle, fr. ? to change a little, go aside, deviate; ? beside, beyond + ? to change: cf. F. parallaxe. Cf. Parallel.] 1. The apparent displacement, or difference of position, of an object, as seen from two different stations, or points of view. 2. (Astron.) The apparent difference in position of a body (as the sun, or a star) as seen from some point on the earth's surface, and as seen from some other conventional point, as the earth's center or the sun. Annual parallax, the greatest value of the heliocentric parallax, or the greatest annual apparent change of place of a body as seen from the earth and sun; as, the annual parallax of a fixed star. Binocular parallax, the apparent difference in position of an object as seen separately by one eye, and then by the other, the head remaining unmoved. Diurnal, or Geocentric, parallax, the parallax of a body with reference to the earth's center. This is the kind of parallax that is generally understood when the term is used without qualification. Heliocentric parallax, the parallax of a body with reference to the sun, or the angle subtended at the body by lines drawn from it to the earth and sun; as, the heliocentric parallax of a planet. Horizontal parallax, the geocentric parallx of a heavenly body when in the horizon, or the angle subtended at the body by the earth's radius. Optical parallax, the apparent displacement in position undergone by an object when viewed by either eye singly. --Brande & C. Parallax of the cross wires (of an optical instrument), their apparent displacement when the eye changes its position, caused by their not being exactly in the focus of the object glass. Stellar parallax, the annual parallax of a fixed star.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Diurnal Di*ur"nal, a. [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. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves. 4. (Zo["o]l.) Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects. Diurnal aberration (Anat.), the aberration of light arising from the effect of the earth's rotation upon the apparent direction of motion of light. Diurnal arc, the arc described by the sun during the daytime or while above the horizon; hence, the arc described by the moon or a star from rising to setting. Diurnal circle, the apparent circle described by a celestial body in consequence of the earth's rotation. Diurnal motion of the earth, the motion of the earth upon its axis which is described in twenty-four hours. Diurnal motion of a heavenly body, that apparent motion of the heavenly body which is due to the earth's diurnal motion. Diurnal parallax. See under Parallax. Diurnal revolution of a planet, the motion of the planet upon its own axis which constitutes one complete revolution. Syn: See Daily.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Diurnal Di*ur"nal, n. [Cf. F. diurnal a prayerbook. See Diurnal, a.] 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. (Zo["o]l.) A diurnal bird or insect.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Diurnal means happening or active during the daytime. (FORMAL) Kangaroos are diurnal animals. ? nocturnal ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Daily, quotidian.

Moby Thesaurus

annual, biannual, biennial, bimonthly, biweekly, catamenial, centenary, centennial, circadian, daily, daytime, decennial, everyday, fortnightly, hebdomadal, hourly, menstrual, momentary, momently, monthly, quarterly, quotidian, regular, secular, semestral, semiannual, semimonthly, semiweekly, semiyearly, tertian, triennial, weekly, yearly