Origin: Latin suffix -al
Nocturnal has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
A person or creature that is active at night.
"The owl was a true nocturnal hunter, silently swooping through the dark forest to catch its prey while everyone else slept."
belonging to or active during the night
"nocturnal animals are active at night"
"nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day"
Primarily active during the night.
"The family of bats is strictly nocturnal, emerging from their cave only after sunset to hunt for insects."
The word "nocturnal" comes from the Latin term nocturnus, meaning "nightly." It ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root nókʷts, which also means "night."