mesopause

[ mez-uh-pawz, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]

/ ˈmɛz əˌpɔz, ˈmɛs-, ˈmi zə-, -sə- /

noun Meteorology.

the boundary or transition zone between the mesosphere and the ionosphere.Compare mesosphere(def 1).

the top of the mesosphere, determined by the appearance of a temperature minimum near an altitude of 50 miles (80 km).Compare mesosphere(def 2).

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Origin of mesopause

First recorded in 1945–50; meso- + pause

Words nearby mesopause

mesonephric fold, mesonephric ridge, mesonephroma, mesonephros, mesoneuritis, mesopause, mesopeak, mesopelagic, mesopelagic zone, mesopexy, mesophil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for mesopause

mesopause

/ (ˈmɛsəʊˌpɔːz) /

noun

meteorol the zone of minimum temperature between the mesosphere and the thermosphere

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

Scientific definitions for mesopause

mesopause

[ mĕz′ə-pôz′ ]

The boundary between the upper mesosphere and the lower thermosphere, approximately 80 km (50 mi) above the Earth's surface. It is the site of the coldest temperatures in the Earth's atmosphere, with temperatures of -100°C (-148°F).