poikilothermic

American

[poi-kuh-loh-thur-mik, poi-kil-uh-] / ˌpɔɪ kə loʊˈθɜr mɪk, pɔɪˌkɪl ə- /

Also poikilothermal

adjective

Zoology.

cold-blooded (homoiothermal ).

poikilothermic British

/ ˌpɔɪkɪləʊˈθɜːməl, ˌpɔɪkɪləʊˈθɜːmɪk /

adjective

(of all animals except birds and mammals) having a body temperature that varies with the temperature of the surroundings Compare homoiothermic

"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

Other Word Forms

poikilothermism noun

Etymology

Origin of poikilothermic

1880–85; < Greek poikílo ( s ) various + thermic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At this point people might start to become poikilothermic, research sponsored by the FAA says.

From BBC

But mention of a poikilothermic state is not "useful", says Ken Baillie, consultant in intensive care medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023