SKIP TO CONTENT

noctambulous

/nɑkˈtæmbyələs/
IPA guide

If you’re noctambulous, clear your floor before going to bed, so you don't trip while sleepwalking! It also makes sense to cover sharp points on furniture to protect yourself during your noctambulous excursions.

Noctambulous combines the Latin noct- (from nox, “night”) with ambulare ("to walk"). While we use the suffix -ous to create this adjective, swapping it for -ist gives us the noun noctambulist, "a sleepwalker." You might recognize these roots from words like nocturnal, meaning "active during the night," and ambulance, originally a mobile hospital that "walked" with the army. Noctambulous people don't just walk at night, though — they walk at night while asleep.

Definitions of noctambulous
  1. adjective
    relating to, engaging in, or prone to sleepwalking
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘noctambulous'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family