Dictionary.com

mesopause

[ mez-uh-pawz, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]
/ ˈmɛz əˌpɔz, ˈmɛs-, ˈmi zə-, -sə- /
Save This Word!
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).
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of mesopause

First recorded in 1945–50; meso- + pause

Words nearby mesopause

mesometeorology, mesomorph, mesomorphic, meson, mesonephros, mesopause, mesopeak, mesopelagic, mesopelagic zone, mesophile, mesophilic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mesopause in a sentence

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).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK