microclimate

[ mahy-kruh-klahy-mit ]

/ ˈmaɪ krəˌklaɪ mɪt /

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noun

the climate of a small area, as of confined spaces such as caves or houses (cryptoclimate ), of plant communities, wooded areas, etc. (phytoclimate ), or of urban communities, which may be different from that in the general region.

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Compare macroclimate.

Origin of microclimate

First recorded in 1920–25; micro- + climate

OTHER WORDS FROM microclimate

mi·cro·cli·mat·ic

[mahy-kroh-klahy-mat-ik], /ˌmaɪ kroʊ klaɪˈmæt ɪk/, adjectivemi·cro·cli·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby microclimate

microchip, Microciona, microcircuit, microcircuitry, microcirculation, microclimate, microclimatology, microcline, micrococcus, microcode, microcomponent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use microclimate in a sentence

The bicomponent fabric places soft merino wool against the skin and durable synthetic on the exterior, creating a warm-when-cool, cool-when-warm microclimate while readily wicking moisture.
11 Times Polartec Revolutionized How We Dress|bsmith|August 7, 2021|Outside Online
The limestone walls towered some 20-30 meters above us, creating a cool microclimate for forest plants to thrive and humans and animals to take shelter.
A Cave Site in Kenya’s Forests Reveals the Oldest Human Burial in Africa|Alison Crowther|May 28, 2021|Singularity Hub
They carefully registered if they seemed to be regulating their temperature either by occupying a cooler microclimate or by moving their wings in different directions.
Animals are finding surprising ways to adapt to rising temperatures|María Paula Rubiano A.|November 23, 2020|Popular-Science
“What we found was that the species which were more reliant on using microclimate tended to be the species that have declined the most over the last 40 years,” he says.
Animals are finding surprising ways to adapt to rising temperatures|María Paula Rubiano A.|November 23, 2020|Popular-Science

There can be microclimates within the city that shift by street.
Berkeley: A City That Fights for the Rights of All|LGBTQ-Editor|November 20, 2020|No Straight News
Its microclimate and soil cannot be replicated, nor can the wine (a bottle of the 1999 vintage fetches $1,795).
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards|Clive Irving|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The microclimate of the drainage differs markedly from that of other stations.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado|Charles L. Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for microclimate

microclimate

/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌklaɪmɪt) /

noun ecology

the atmospheric conditions affecting an individual or a small group of organisms, esp when they differ from the climate of the rest of the community

the entire environment of an individual or small group of organisms

Derived forms of microclimate

microclimatic (ˌmaɪkrəʊklaɪˈmætɪk), adjectivemicroclimatically, adverb

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 microclimate

microclimate

[ mī′krō-klī′mĭt ]

The climate of a small, specific place within a larger area. An area as small as a yard or park can have several different microclimates depending on how much sunlight, shade, or exposure to the wind there is at a particular spot. Compare macroclimate.

Cultural definitions for microclimate

microclimate

The long-term weather conditions in a small area on the Earth. Usually, this term refers to such things as the differences in weather between the tops of hills and neighboring valleys, or between different parts of the same piece of land.