heat island

[ heet-ahy-luhnd ]

noun
  1. an urban area having a higher average temperature than its rural surroundings owing to the greater absorption, retention, and generation of heat by its buildings, pavements, and human activities.

Origin of heat island

1
First recorded in1960–65
  • Also called ur·ban heat is·land [ur-buhn heet-ahy-luhnd] /ˈɜr bən ˈhit ˌaɪ lənd/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for heat-island

heat-island

noun
  1. meteorol the mass of air over a large city, characteristically having a slightly higher average temperature than that of the surrounding air

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012