NOCTURNAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does nocturnal mean? 

• NOCTURNAL (adjective)
  The adjective NOCTURNAL has 2 senses:

1. belonging to or active during the night

2. of or relating to or occurring in the night

  Familiarity information: NOCTURNAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NOCTURNAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Belonging to or active during the night

Context example:

nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Antonym:

diurnal (of or belonging to or active during the day)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of or relating to or occurring in the night

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

nocturnal darkness

Pertainym:

night (the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside)

 Context examples 

So this was the explanation of the unlocked door and of the nocturnal vigil of Milverton.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Artificial light is an environmental pollutant that threatens nocturnal animals and affects plants and microorganisms,” the study said.

(Study: Earth’s Night Skies Getting Brighter, VOA)

What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the very peculiar words of the dying woman?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A monoclonal antibody used to prevent red blood cells from being destroyed in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a red blood cell disorder.

(Eculizumab, NCI Dictionary)

I had nothing to do with my host going off upon a nocturnal excursion and meeting so sad an end.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This is an especially important factor for scientists to consider for future research, given that many calorie-reduction studies involve only daytime feeding, which is the wrong time for otherwise nocturnal mice.

(Eating at 'Wrong Time' Affects Body Weight, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

This suppresses excessive complement activity and may result in an inhibition of ACP-mediated hemolysis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) red blood cells (RBCs) as well as preventing ACP-induced tissue damage.

(CR2-fH Fusion Protein TT30, NCI Thesaurus)

We had never before seen them save at night, and indeed they are nocturnal animals save when disturbed in their lairs, as these had been.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I am beginning to feel this nocturnal existence tell on me. It is destroying my nerve.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Mutation of the gene is associated with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

(PIGA wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)