matutinal

ma•tut•in•al (muh-TOOT-n-l)  adj

Definition:
of, relating to, or occurring in the morning

matutinally adverb
Origin:
1650s, from L. matutinalis, from matutinus, from Matuta, Roman goddess of dawn, related to maturus “early”

Sentence Examples:
• The tiny lizard in his comfortable position on the summit of a gigantic pumpkin can continue his matutinal sleep in peace; the stork can continue undisturbed his preparations for his impending long voyage over seas. Man has not yet thought to break by travail or by song the peaceful silence of the plain. -A Bride of the Plains, Baroness Emmuska Orczy

• Can there be anything more dreadful than the matutinal apparition of an ugly old maid at her window? Of all the grotesque sights which amuse the eyes of travellers in country towns, that is the most unpleasant. -Pierrette, Honore de Balzac

• Breakfast, gentlemen, breakfast. The matutinal coffee and one of Brader’s rolls, not like the London French, but passably good; and there is some cold stuffed chine. -The Weathercock, George Manville Fenn

The Storyline
Anna's matutinal dislocations left her in no mood however for business as usual.

Why This Word:

Matutinal is a term used in the life sciences, to describe an organism that is only or primarily active in the pre-dawn hours or early morning. The variant term matinal is used apparently only in entomology, often used in literature on the natural history and ecology of bees.

Sources: Free Dictionary, Online Etymology

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