diurnal

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adj. Relating to or occurring in a 24-hour period; daily.
2. adj. Occurring or active during the daytime rather than at night: diurnal animals.
3. adj. Botany Opening during daylight hours and closing at night.
4. n. A book containing all the offices for the daily canonical hours of prayer except matins.
5. n. Archaic A diary or journal.
6. n. Archaic A daily newspaper.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Of or belonging to day; pertaining to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, as distinguished from the night: opposed to nocturnal: as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours; diurnal habits, as of an animal.
2. Daily; happening every day: as, a diurnal task.
3. Performed in or occupying one day; lasting but for one day; ephemeral.
4. Constituting the measure of a day, either on the earth or one of the other planets: as, the diurnal revolution of the earth, or of Mars or Jupiter.
5. Characterized by some change or peculiarity which appears and disappears with the daytime, In medicine, being most intense in the daytime: as, a diurnal fever.
6. n. A day-book; a diary; a journal.
7. n. A daily newspaper.
8. n. A Roman Catholic service-book containing the offices for the daily hours of prayer.
9. n. In ornithology, a diurnal bird of prey.
10. n. In entomology, one of the Diurna.

Wiktionary

1. adj. Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.
2. adj. Said of a flower open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night.
3. adj. Having a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset.
4. adj. Done once every day; daily, quotidian.
5. adj. Published daily.
6. n. A flower that opens only in the day.
7. n. A book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins.
8. n. A diary or journal.
9. n. A daily news publication.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal
2. adj. Daily; recurring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day
3. adj. Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves.
4. adj. Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects.
5. n. A daybook; a journal.
6. n. A small volume containing the daily service for the “little hours,” viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline.
7. n. A diurnal bird or insect.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. of or belonging to or active during the day
2. adj. having a daily cycle or occurring every day