microclimate

[ mahy-kruh-klahy-mit ]

/ ˈmaɪ krəˌklaɪ mɪt /

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.

Nearby words

microcinematography, microciona, microcircuit, microcircuitry, microcirculation, microclimate, microclimatology, microcline, micrococcaceae, micrococcus, microcode

Compare macroclimate.

Origin of microclimate

First recorded in 1920–25; micro- + climate

Related formsmi·cro·cli·mat·ic

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

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

Examples from the Web for microclimate

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 Formsmicroclimatic (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

Word Origin and History for microclimate

microclimate

1918, from micro- + climate. Related: Microclimatology.

Science 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.

Culture 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.