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habitat

 - 6 dictionary results

hab⋅i⋅tat

  [hab-i-tat]
Use habitat in a Sentence
–noun
1. the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism: a tropical habitat.
2. the place where a person or thing is usually found. Paris is a major habitat of artists.
3. a special environment for living in over an extended period, as an underwater research vessel.
4. habitation (def. 1).
Origin:
1755–65; < L: it inhabits, 3rd sing. pres. indic. of habitāre, freq. of habēre to have, hold
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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hab·i·tat   (hāb'ĭ-tāt')   
n.  

  1. The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs: a marine habitat.

  2. The place where a person or thing is most likely to be found.

  3. A structure that affords a controlled environment for living in extremely inhospitable locations, such as an underwater research laboratory.


[Latin, it dwells, third person sing. present of habitāre, to dwell; see habitable.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

habitat

The area or type of environment in which a particular kind of animal or plant usually lives.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

habitat 
1762, as a technical term in Latin texts on Eng. flora and fauna, lit. "it inhabits," third pers. sing. pres. indic. of habitare "to live, dwell," freq. of habere "to have, to hold, possess" (see habit). General sense of "dwelling place" is first attested 1854. Habitant "Canadian of Fr. descent" (1789) is from Fr. word meaning "inhabitant" (lit. the prp. of habiter "to inhabit, dwell"), and was the usual word for planters in 18c. Quebec.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: hab·i·tat
Pronunciation: 'hab-&-"tat
Function: noun
1 : the place or environment where a plant or animal naturallyoccurs habitat of the crab louse>
2 : a housing for a controlled physical environment in which people can live surrounded byinhospitable conditions (as under the sea)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Computing Dictionary

Habitat networking, graphics
The original term for on-line graphical virtual communities or worlds. Created at Lucasfilm in 1985 by Randy Farmer and Chip Morningstar.
(http://communities.com/habitat.html).
(1996-06-12)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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