heat island

noun

an urban area having 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

First recorded in 1960–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

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