diurnal. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

diurnal

SYLLABICATION:	di·ur·nal
PRONUNCIATION:	d-ûrnl
ADJECTIVE:	1. Relating to or occurring in a 24-hour period; daily. 2. Occurring or active during the daytime rather than at night: diurnal animals. 3. Botany Opening during daylight hours and closing at night.
NOUN:	1. A book containing all the offices for the daily canonical hours of prayer except matins. 2. Archaic a. A diary or journal. b. A daily newspaper.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Late Latin diurnlis, from Latin diurnus, from dis, day. See dyeu- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:	di·urnal·ly —ADVERB


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.