Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An external stimulus or cue, such as daylight or a regularly repeated occurrence, that serves to regulate an organism's biological clock.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biology A rhythmically occurring cue given by the environment, such as a change in light or temperature, to reset the internal body clock.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German Zeitgeber : Zeit, time; see Zeitgeist + Geber, giver (from geben, to give, from Middle High German, from Old High German geban; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

German Zeitgeber, "time-giver".

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Examples

Comments

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  • A naturally occurring cue, such as light or temperature, which regulates biological rhythms; something which influences or regulates the timing or rhythm of something else. (From Double-Tongued Dictionary)

    July 26, 2008