microclimate

[ mahy-kruh-klahy-mit ]

noun

1. 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.

microclimate

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌklaɪmɪt; ˌmaɪkrəʊklaɪˈmætɪk /

noun

1. 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
2. the entire environment of an individual or small group of organisms

microclimate

/ mī′krō-klī′mĭt /

1. 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.
2. Compare macroclimate

microclimate

1. 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.

Derived Forms

• ˌmicrocliˈmatically, adverb
• microclimatic, adjective

Other Words From

• mi·cro·cli·mat·ic [mahy-kroh-klahy-, mat, -ik], adjective
• micro·cli·mati·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of microclimate¹

First recorded in 1920–25; micro- + climate

Example Sentences

The bicomponent fabric places soft merino wool against the skin and durable synthetic on the exterior, creating a warm-when-cool, cool-when-warm microclimate while readily wicking moisture.

From Outside Online

The limestone walls towered some 20-30 meters above us, creating a cool microclimate for forest plants to thrive and humans and animals to take shelter.

From Singularity Hub 

They carefully registered if they seemed to be regulating their temperature either by occupying a cooler microclimate or by moving their wings in different directions.

From Popular-Science

“What we found was that the species which were more reliant on using microclimate tended to be the species that have declined the most over the last 40 years,” he says.

From Popular-Science

There can be microclimates within the city that shift by street.

From No Straight News

Its microclimate and soil cannot be replicated, nor can the wine (a bottle of the 1999 vintage fetches $1,795).

From The Daily Beast

The microclimate of the drainage differs markedly from that of other stations.

From Project Gutenberg