clime
Americannoun
-
climes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of clime
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin clīma; see climate
Explanation
Not to be confused with "climb", a clime is a region known for its weather. In the dead of winter, we dream about heading to sunny climes, where we can hang out in shorts. The key to remembering clime is that it's so similar to "climate," with which it shares the Greek root klima, "zone." So a clime is a zone that has a characteristic climate. Folks in colder climes think nothing of the kind of snowfall that we down here in the south get all panicked about. But then again, when they come here to our warmer clime, they forget to put on sunscreen; people from one clime can learn a lot from a visit to a different clime.
Vocabulary lists containing clime
Animal Farm
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"Called Out," Vocabulary from the science essay
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"Called Out" by Barbara Kingsolver
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The concept of "coolcations" -- vacations in a cooler clime -- has been gathering pace in recent years and appears to have exploded in 2026.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
If you live in Portland or New York City, you might be thinking long and hard about moving to a lower tax clime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
That means if your tree hails from a more humid clime, it's likely been spoiled for generations.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023
But Bergman’s book evokes the social and political trends of a time when citizens surmounted Seattle’s legendary hills aboard railcars, akin to San Francisco’s famed fleet but enclosed because of our chillier clime.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2021
Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland, Beasts of every land and clime, Hearken well and spread my tidings Of the golden future time.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
These siblings have left their homeland for warmer and less haunted climes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Dave Cooper, 60, spent the last 10 years in southern California before moving to the cooler climes of Dumfries and Galloway.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Some have wanted to escape Washington’s notorious humid summers, while others longed to flee the cold and create a “winter White House” in warmer climes.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
The great migration of the Bogong moth was once a yearly feature of the Australian spring, the insects humming down the nation's east coast in their billions as they searched for cooler climes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
When Westerberg was jailed and the work came to a halt, and with winter coming on, McCandless headed for warmer climes.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
