habitat

[ hab-i-tat ]

noun

1. the natural environment of an organism; the place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism:

   Orchids have a tropical habitat.

2. the place where a person or thing is usually found:

   Paris is a major habitat of artists.

3. a special environment for living in over an extended period, as an underwater research vessel.
4. habitation ( def 1 ).

habitat

/ ˈhæbɪˌtæt /

noun

1. the environment in which an animal or plant normally lives or grows
2. the place in which a person, group, class, etc, is normally found

habitat

/ hăb′ĭ-tăt′ /

1. The area or natural environment in which an organism or population normally lives. A habitat is made up of physical factors such as soil, moisture, range of temperature, and availability of light as well as biotic factors such as the availability of food and the presence of predators. A habitat is not necessarily a geographic area—for a parasitic organism it is the body of its host or even a cell within the host's body.

habitat

1. The area or type of environment in which a particular kind of animal or plant usually lives.

Word History and Origins

Origin of habitat¹

First recorded in 1755–65; from Latin: “it inhabits,” 3rd person singular present indicative of habitāre “to inhabit, dwell, live,” frequentative of habēre “to have, hold”

Word History and Origins

Origin of habitat¹

C18: from Latin: it inhabits, from habitāre to dwell, from habēre to have

Synonym Study

See ecosystem ( def ).

Example Sentences

Communities are working to remove the river’s dams, restoring habitat for fish and other wildlife.

From Outside Online

Environmental advocates argue that fossil fuel production in ANWR will add to this process, damaging habitat and impacting the Indigenous people who rely on the wildlife for subsistence.

From Popular-Science

Over the past few months, with fewer vessels crisscrossing the seas, aquatic animals have reveled in their habitat.

From Ozy

Most of this is to better understand the ecology of bears and other carnivores, to make sure we are protecting the habitats that are truly best for them.

From Nautilus

Other research has shown that leopards have lost about three-fourths of their historic habitat.

From Ozy

The user fee on duck stamps goes exclusively to funding federal acquisition of wetlands as wildlife habitat.

From The Daily Beast

This means a decline in habitat quality for grazers like bison and elk, whose winter-killed carcasses grizzlies feed upon.

From The Daily Beast

This borderland—the interface of human activity and wild habitat—is the most dangerous region of all for bears.

From The Daily Beast

Not only did it allow development of a delicate habitat, but hunters could now hunt the threatened species from a helicopter.

From The Daily Beast

The most credible scientific data on wolverine behavior documents an absolute dependence on “persistent spring snow habitat.”

From The Daily Beast

This was his native habitat, an environment precisely suited to his peculiar talent.

From Project Gutenberg

Its habitat in Australia is known to extend as wide as twenty-four degrees of latitude, and twenty-six degrees of longitude.

From Project Gutenberg

The same may be said of hearing, the under-water habitat being nearly or completely a soundless one.

From Project Gutenberg

With this consideration of the characteristics and habitat of the Pygmies we may proceed to a review of their habits.

From Project Gutenberg

The system of the physical world is the material basis, the habitat of the moral or spiritual world.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cave
• dwelling
• environment
• haven
• nest
• surroundings
• terrain
• territory