Word a Day
nocturnal
What does nocturnal mean?
nocturnal (adjective): belonging to or active during the night.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use nocturnal in a sentence?
- Nocturnal animals are active at night. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
- Nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce nocturnal?
/nɑkˈtɝnəl/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does nocturnal come from?
From Middle French nocturnal, from Late Latin nocturnālis (“nocturnal”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “nocturnal”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “nocturnal” mean?
of unknown name; whose name is withheld
Not quite: that's what anonymous means.
incapable of being avoided or prevented
Not quite: that's what inevitable means.
helpful or good to something or someone
Not quite: that's what beneficial means.
belonging to or active during the night
Right! That's what “nocturnal” means.
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