nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
| \ näk-ˈtər-nᵊl
\
\
Definition of nocturnal
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
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Other Words from nocturnal
nocturnally
\ -nᵊl-ē
\
adverb
\
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
Scavengers by nature and mostly nocturnal, roaches are accustomed to creeping around after-hours for desirable snacks like leftover food scraps or damp cardboard. — Natalie Schumann, Country Living, "How To Get Rid of Roaches Before They Become a Major Problem," 18 July 2019 Currently, many studies rely on mice, which are nocturnal, to investigate sleep. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Little, Transparent Fish Show Sleep Is at Least 450 Million Years Old," 12 July 2019 But our wussy little furball ancestors were nocturnal, and colorblind. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "Why We See the Colors of Faces Differently Than Other Things," 8 July 2019 The area surrounding our hotel was attractive during the daytime, but after nightfall the city transformed itself into a nocturnal kaleidoscope of color, especially down by the bay. — Doug Hansen, chicagotribune.com, "Beautifully modern Singapore," 20 Aug. 2019 Nighttime lights alter birds’ nocturnal migrations. — Jenny Howard, National Geographic, "These fish eggs aren't hatching. The culprit? Light pollution.," 9 July 2019 The nocturnal runners' delight, the Associated Bank Storm the Bastille Run/Walk, begins at 9 p.m. Thursday. — Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The bands, the run, the Hop stop and everything else you need to know for Bastille Days in Milwaukee," 8 July 2019 The species is a nocturnal worm native to New Guinea, according to TISI. — Fox News, "Texas woman discovers horde of black worms known to carry dangerous parasite in backyard," 4 July 2019 Enjoy the nocturnal sounds of one of Alabama’s biggest treasures on a two-hour paddle of a deep, calm section of the river guided by the moonlight and fireflies. — al.com, "July Fourth events (and more) to attend this month," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nocturnal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nocturnal
nocturnal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of nocturnal
: active mainly during the night
formal
: happening at night
See the full definition for nocturnal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
| \ näk-ˈtər-nᵊl
\
\
Kids Definition of nocturnal
1
: happening at night
a nocturnal journey
2
: active at night
nocturnal insects
nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
| \ näk-ˈtərn-ᵊl
\
\
Medical Definition of nocturnal
1
: of, relating to, or occurring at night
nocturnal myoclonus
2
: characterized by nocturnal activity
a nocturnal form of filariasis
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