crepuscular

adjective

cre·pus·cu·lar kri-ˈpə-skyə-lər

: of, relating to, or resembling twilight : dim

crepuscular light

the crepuscular sky

: occurring or active during twilight

crepuscular insects

crepuscular activity

crepuscular birds

Did you know?

The early Romans had two words for the twilight. Crepusculum was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening, just after the sun sets; diluculum was reserved for morning twilight, just before the sun rises—it is related to lucidus, meaning "bright." We didn't embrace either of these Latin nouns as substitutes for our word twilight, but we did form the adjective crepuscular in the 17th century. The word's zoological sense, relating to animals that are most active at twilight, developed in the 19th century.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The rooms are small and claustrophobic, sometimes crepuscular, and the flow awkward.

Joanne Kaufman, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2022 And, as the Nixon story shows, Hoover’s crepuscular hold over Presidents was tenacious.

Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022 Treehugger says rabbits, skunks, possums are among crepuscular species.

Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 It’s just after nightfall, in those glimmering, fading few hours between dusk and midnight that best suit Giorgos Karvelas’s clinical yet crepuscular cinematography.

Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 July 2022 The urban crepuscular mammals often graze on the fairways of the Wilson and Harding golf courses (try sunrise or sunset), and doing a hike across the street starting at the Old Zoo Picnic Area seems appropriate for a wildlife walk.

Matt Pawlik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022 Many animals became crepuscular to avoid predators.

Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 For instance, ungulates, such as bison, and coyotes are generally crepuscular, or most active at dusk and dawn, whereas alligators are diurnal and nocturnal.

Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 His color palettes, which can range from brilliant orange and blue to crepuscular pinks and purples, seem to evoke land, sky and light in its myriad reflective and refractive states.

Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crepuscular.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.