temperate

3 entries found for temperate.
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temperate temperate rain forest temperate zone

Main Entry: tem·per·ate
Pronunciation: 'tem-p(&-)r&t
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English temperat, from Latin temperatus, from past participle of temperare
1 : marked by moderation: as a : keeping or held within limits : not extreme or excessive : MILD b : moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire c : moderate in the use of alcoholic beverages d : marked by an absence or avoidance of extravagance, violence, or extreme partisanship
2 a : having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature b : found in or associated with a moderate climate <temperate insects>
3 : existing as a prophage in infected cells and rarely causing lysis <temperate bacteriophages>
- tem·per·ate·ly adverb
- tem·per·ate·ness noun