crepuscular
adjective
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The early Romans had two words for the twilight. Crepusculum was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening, just after the sun sets; diluculum was reserved for morning twilight, just before the sun rises—it is related to lucidus, meaning "bright." We didn't embrace either of these Latin nouns as substitutes for our word twilight, but we did form the adjective crepuscular in the 17th century. The word's zoological sense, relating to animals that are most active at twilight, developed in the 19th century.
Examples of crepuscular in a Sentence
Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
The encounter happened around dusk, when crepuscular creatures like brown bears tend to be more active.
—Tristan Kennedy, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024
Hunt Deer at Midday During the Rut or Severe Cold
Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and there are times when deer fall off the crepuscular wagon and move during midday.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023
In the wild, red pandas are solitary, tree-dwelling and crepuscular − active at dusk and dawn − the release said.
—Rae Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2023
See all Example Sentences for crepuscular 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crepuscular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near crepuscular
Cite this Entry
“Crepuscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crepuscular. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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crepuscular
adjective
Medical Definition
crepuscular
adjective
William James
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