Adjacent Words

Climate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CLIMATE, n.
1. In geography, a part of the surface of the earth, bounded by two circles parallel to the equator, and of such a breadth that the longest day in the parallel nearest the pole is half an hour longer than that nearest to the equator. The beginning of a climate is a parallel circle in which the longest day is half and hour shorter than that at the end. The climates begin at the equator, where the day is 12 hours long; and at the end of the first climate the longest day is 12 hours long, and this increase of half an hour constitutes a climate, to the polar circles; from which climates are measured by the increase of a month.
2. In a popular sense, a tract of land, region or country, differing from another in the temperature of the air; or any region or country with respect to the temperature of the air, the seasons, and their peculiar qualities, without any regard to the length of the days, or to geographical position. Thus we say, a warm or cold climate; a moist or dry climate; a happy climate; a genial climate; a mountainous climate.
CLIMATE, v.i. To dwell; to reside in a particular region.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time; "the dank climate of southern Wales"; "plants from a cold clime travel best in winter" [syn: climate, clime]
2: the prevailing psychological state; "the climate of opinion"; "the national mood had changed radically since the last election" [syn: climate, mood]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English climat, from Middle French, from Late Latin climat-, clima, from Greek klimat-, klima inclination, latitude, climate, from klinein to lean — more at lean Date: 14th century 1. a region of the earth having specified climatic conditions 2. a. the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation b. the prevailing set of conditions (as of temperature and humidity) indoors <a climate-controlled office> 3. the prevailing influence or environmental conditions characterizing a group or period ; atmosphere <a climate of fear>

Britannica Concise

Condition of the atmosphere at a particular location over a long period of time (from one month to many millions of years, but generally 30 years). Climate is the sum of atmospheric elements (and their variations): solar radiation, temperature, humidity, clouds and precipitation (type, frequency, and amount), atmospheric pressure, and wind (speed and direction). To the nonspecialist, climate means expected or habitual weather at a particular place and time of year. To the specialist, climate also denotes the degree of variability of weather, and it includes not only the atmosphere but also the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and such extraterrestrial factors as the sun. See also urban climate.

NOAA Weather Glossary

  The prevalent long term weather conditions in aparticular area. Climatic elements include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshineand wind velocity and phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms. Climate cannot be considered asatisfactory indicator of actual conditions since it is based upon a vast number of elements taken as an average.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the prevailing weather conditions of an area. 2 a region with particular weather conditions. 3 the prevailing trend of opinion or public feeling. Derivatives: climatic adj. climatical adj. climatically adv. Etymology: ME f. OF climat or LL clima climat- f. Gk klima f. klino slope

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Climate Cli"mate, n. [F. climat, L. clima, -atis, fr. Gr. ?, ?, slope, the supposed slope of the earth (from the equator toward the pole), hence a region or zone of the earth, fr. ? to slope, incline, akin to E. lean, v. i. See Lean, v. i., and cf. Clime.] 1. (Anc. Geog.) One of thirty regions or zones, parallel to the equator, into which the surface of the earth from the equator to the pole was divided, according to the successive increase of the length of the midsummer day. 2. The condition of a place in relation to various phenomena of the atmosphere, as temperature, moisture, etc., especially as they affect animal or vegetable life.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Climate Cli"mate, v. i. To dwell. [Poetic] --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(climates) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. The climate of a place is the general weather conditions that are typical of it. ...the hot and humid climate of Cyprus. N-VAR 2. You can use climate to refer to the general atmosphere or situation somewhere. The economic climate remains uncertain. ...the existing climate of violence and intimidation... N-COUNT: usu with supp

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Meteorological character or habit, usual weather.

Moby Thesaurus

Antarctic Zone, Arctic Circle, Arctic Zone, Frigid Zones, Torrid Zone, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Variable Zones, Weltanschauung, air, ambiance, ambience, ambient, atmosphere, aura, calm weather, climate of opinion, clime, cold weather, equator, ethos, fair weather, feel, feeling, forces of nature, good weather, halcyon days, horse latitudes, hot weather, ideology, intellectual climate, latitude, longitude, longitude in arc, macroclimate, medium, meridian, microclimate, milieu, mise-en-scene, mood, moral climate, mores, norms, note, overtone, parallel, prime meridian, quality, rainy weather, roaring forties, sense, spirit, spiritual climate, stormy weather, subtropics, surroundings, the elements, the line, tone, tropic, tropics, undertone, weather, windiness, world view, zone