nocturnal

adjective

noc·​tur·​nal näk-ˈtər-nᵊl How to pronounce nocturnal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the night
a nocturnal journey
nocturnal activities
2
: active at night
a nocturnal predator
nocturnal insects, such as mosquitoes
nocturnally adverb

Examples of nocturnal in a Sentence

he bought a new telescope so he could pursue his favorite nocturnal hobby of astronomy
Recent Examples on the Web Share [Findings] The nocturnal heart rate of young men can be predicted by their female partners’ daytime feelings of intimacy or annoyance. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 The same powerhouse cold front that will drop temperatures across the country will also bring the risk of severe thunderstorms capable of destructive hail and nocturnal tornadoes to the Midwest and Great Lakes on Tuesday. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Tawny owls are medium-sized nocturnal birds who have two plumage color morphs, pale gray and dark brown. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 And nocturnal creatures like bats are sure to stir from their daytime slumber. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 The other finds himself in nocturnal dreams where he is seen as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him to question how much his personality is shaped by the gaze of others. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 In the wild, ball pythons are nocturnal and live mostly underground, often in burrows taken over from rodent prey. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 At times, birds will fall silent and nocturnal animals will abruptly awaken, mistaking the brief phenomenon for nightfall. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The ancestor of butterflies was a nocturnal moth that became day-flying here, 101.4 million years ago. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nocturnal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French nocturnel, borrowed from Late Latin nocturnālis "for night use," from Latin nocturnus "of or occurring at night" (from noct-, nox night entry 1 + -urnus, temporal suffix, as in diurnus "of the day") + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at journal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nocturnal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near nocturnal

Cite this Entry

“Nocturnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nocturnal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nocturnal

adjective
noc·​tur·​nal näk-ˈtərn-ᵊl How to pronounce nocturnal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the night
a nocturnal journey
2
: active at night
nocturnal insects
nocturnally adverb
Etymology

from early French nocturnal, nocturnel or Latin nocturnalis, both meaning "nocturnal," derived from earlier Latin noct-, nox "night" — related to equinox

Medical Definition

nocturnal

adjective
noc·​tur·​nal näk-ˈtərn-ᵊl How to pronounce nocturnal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or occurring at night
nocturnal myoclonus
2
: characterized by nocturnal activity
a nocturnal form of filariasis

More from Merriam-Webster on nocturnal

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