n. Adjournment; postponement. [ R. ] “An adjournal of the Diet.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. diurnalis, fr. dies day. See Deity, and cf. Journal. ] 1. Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal; as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Daily; recurring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day; as, a diurnal fever; a diurnal task; diurnal aberration, or diurnal parallax; the diurnal revolution of the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring
Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

Diurnal aberration (Anat.), the aberration of light arising from the effect of the earth's rotation upon the apparent direction of motion of light. --
Diurnal arc, the arc described by the sun during the daytime or while above the horizon; hence, the arc described by the moon or a star from rising to setting. --
Diurnal circle, the apparent circle described by a celestial body in consequence of the earth's rotation. --
Diurnal motion of the earth, the motion of the earth upon its axis which is described in twenty-four hours. --
Diurnal motion of a heavenly body, that apparent motion of the heavenly body which is due to the earth's diurnal motion. --
Diurnal parallax. See under Parallax. --
Diurnal revolution of a planet, the motion of the planet upon its own axis which constitutes one complete revolution.

Syn. -- See Daily. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. diurnal a prayerbook. See Diurnal, a. ] 1. A daybook; a journal. [ Obs. ] Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (R. C. Ch.) A small volume containing the daily service for the “little hours, ” viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A diurnal bird or insect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A journalist. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Daily; every day. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being diurnal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. diuturnus, fr. diu a long time, by day; akin to dies day. ] Of long continuance; lasting. [ R. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Equi- + diurnal. ] Pertaining to the time of equal day and night; -- applied to the equinoctial line. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F., fr. L. diurnalis diurnal, fr. diurnus belonging to the day, fr. dies day. See Diurnal. ] Daily; diurnal. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Whiles from their journal labors they did rest. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. journal. See Journal, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A diary; an account of daily transactions and events. Specifically: (a) (Bookkeeping) A book of accounts, in which is entered a condensed and grouped statement of the daily transactions. (b) (Naut.) A daily register of the ship's course and distance, the winds, weather, incidents of the voyage, etc. (c) (Legislature) The record of daily proceedings, kept by the clerk. (d) A newspaper published daily; by extension, a weekly newspaper or any periodical publication, giving an account of passing events, the proceedings and memoirs of societies, etc.; a periodical; a magazine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which has occurred in a day; a day's work or travel; a day's journey. [ Obs. & R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mach.) That portion of a rotating piece, as a shaft, axle, spindle, etc., which turns in a bearing or box. See Illust. of Axle box. [ 1913 Webster ]

Journal box, or
Journal bearing (Mach.) the carrier of a journal; the box in which the journal of a shaft, axle, or pin turns. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the linguistic style in which newspapers are written. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. journalisme. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The keeping of a journal or diary. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The periodical collection and publication of current news; the business of managing, editing, or writing for, journals, newspapers, magazines, broadcasting media such as radio or television, or other news media such as distribution over the internet; as, political journalism; broadcast journalism; print journalism. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Journalism is now truly an estate of the realm. Ed. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The branch of knowledge that studies phenomena associated with news collection, distribution, and editing; a course of study, especially in institutions of higher learning, that teaches students how to write, edit, or report news. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. journaliste. ] 1. One who keeps a journal or diary; a diarist. [ Obs. ] Mickle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One whose occupation is to write for any of the public news media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, or internet; also, an editorial or other professional writer for a periodical. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. Pertaining to journals, journalism, or to journalists; contained in, or characteristic of, the public journals; as, journalistic literature or enterprise. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Journalized p. pr. & vb. n. Journalizing ] To enter or record in a journal or diary. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. to conduct or contribute to a public journal; to follow the profession of a journalist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. nocturnalis, nocturnus, fr. nox, noctis, night. See Night, and cf. Nocturn. ] 1. Of, pertaining to, done or occuring in, the night; as, nocturnal darkness, cries, expedition, etc.; -- opposed to diurnal. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having a habit of seeking food or moving about at night; as, nocturnal birds and insects; raccoons are nocturnal.; -- of animals. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. An instrument formerly used for taking the altitude of the stars, etc., at sea. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By night; nightly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ L. See Saturn. ] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) The festival of Saturn, celebrated in December, originally during one day, but afterward during seven days, as a period of unrestrained license and merriment for all classes, extending even to the slaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: A period or occasion of general license, in which the passions or vices have riotous indulgence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to the Saturnalia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of unrestrained and intemperate jollity; riotously merry; dissolute. “Saturnalian amusement.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Pertaining to, or accomplished in, half a day, or twelve hours; occurring twice every day. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to, or traversed in, six hours, or in half the time between the rising and setting of a heavenly body; as, a semidiurnal arc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an urn; effected by an urn or urns. “Urnal interments.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]