heat island
[ heet-ahy-luhnd ]
noun
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
1First 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
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
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