[klahy-mit] 
| 1. | the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years. |
| 2. | a region or area characterized by a given climate: to move to a warm climate. |
| 3. | the prevailing attitudes, standards, or environmental conditions of a group, period, or place: a climate of political unrest. |
ma slope, equiv. to klī- (akin to klnein to slope, lean) + -ma n. suffix
| cli·mate (klī'mĭt) n.
[Middle English climat, from Old French, from Late Latin clima, climat-, from Greek klima, surface of the earth, region; see klei- in Indo-European roots.] |
A region's usual weather patterns. The climate at any point on Earth is determined by things such as the general movement of the atmosphere, the proximity of the oceans, and the altitude of the location.
Note: The climate also is affected by the sun, by changes in the orbit of the Earth, by plate tectonics, and by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which may lead to a greenhouse effect.
| climate (klī'mĭt) Pronunciation Key
The general or average weather conditions of a certain region, including temperature, rainfall, and wind. On Earth, climate is most affected by latitude, the tilt of the Earth's axis, the movements of the Earth's wind belts, the difference in temperatures of land and sea, and topography. Human activity, especially relating to actions relating to the depletion of the ozone layer, is also an important factor. |
