Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or occurring in the Temperate Zone.
- adjective Characterized by moderate temperatures, weather, or climate; neither hot nor cold.
- adjective Moderate in degree or quality; restrained.
- adjective Exercising moderation and self-restraint.
- adjective Biology Of or relating to a virus that infects bacterial cells but rarely causes lysis.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Moderate; showing moderation; not excessive, lavish, or inordinate.
- More especially— Moderate as regards the indulgence of the appetites or desires; abstemious; sober; continent: as, temperate in eating; temperate habits.
- Not violent or extravagant in the use of language; calm; measured; dispassionate: as, a temperate discourse.
- Not swayed by passion; calm; self-contained; self-restrained; not extreme in opinions.
- Proceeding from temperance; moderate.
- Moderate in respect of temperature; not liable to excessive heat or cold; mild; specifically, noting certain zones of the earth's surface.
- In music, same as
tempered . - = Syn. 1-4. Moderate, Temperate. See
moderate . - To temper; moderate.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Moderate; not excessive.
- adjective Not marked with passion; not violent; cool; calm.
- adjective Moderate in the indulgence of the natural appetites or passions.
- adjective rare Proceeding from temperance.
- adjective (Geog.) that part of the earth which lies between either tropic and the corresponding polar circle; -- so called because the heat is less than in the torrid zone, and the cold less than in the frigid zones.
- transitive verb obsolete To render temperate; to moderate; to soften; to temper.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Moderate ; notexcessive ; as, temperate heat; a temperate climate. - adjective Moderate in the indulgence of the natural appetites or passions; as, temperate in eating and drinking.
- adjective Proceeding from
temperance . - verb obsolete To render temperate; to moderate; to soften; to temper.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective not extreme
- adjective (of weather or climate) free from extremes; mild; or characteristic of such weather or climate
- adjective not extreme in behavior
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I would like your temperate drinker to pause, and reflect upon the fact, that the quantity of brandy or rum that he took at a drink, when he commenced this downhill course, has been gradually increased; so that in the second year, what had been quite sufficient to please his palate and produce all the desired effects in the first, was then insipidly small; and more so in the third year, if, mayhap, he could with any decency lay claim to the title of _temperate drinker_ so long.
Select Temperance Tracts American Tract Society
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The speleologists have been so busy up here in what we call the temperate zone that they haven't had a chance or the inclination to take their lights any deeper.
Flinx In Flux Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1988
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The speleologists have been so busy up here in what we call the temperate zone that they haven't had a chance or the inclination to take their lights any deeper.
Flinx In Flux Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1988
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Who will indulge in what he calls the temperate use, flattering himself that he can control his appetite, when thousands, who have boasted of _self-control_, have found themselves, ere they were aware, within the coil of a serpent whose touch is poison, and whose sting is death?
Select Temperance Tracts American Tract Society
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The cold rushes in at every crack of door and window, apparently signaled by the flame to invade the house and fill it with chilly drafts and sarcasms on what we call the temperate zone.
Backlog Studies Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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The cold rushes in at every crack of door and window, apparently signaled by the flame to invade the house and fill it with chilly drafts and sarcasms on what we call the temperate zone.
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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Chilly drafts and sarcasms on what we call the temperate zone
Images from Works of Charles D. Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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On the contrary, when the heat of the air falls below what we call temperate, or when cold is applied to the body, from the accustomed stimulus of heat being diminished, the excitability must accumulate, or become more liable to be affected by the action of the external powers.
A Lecture on the Preservation of Health Thomas Garnett 1784
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"Vengeance is mine," saith the Lord, and He saith it in temperate climes where the warm sun steals away the energies of men.
JAN, THE UNREPENTANT 2010
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The plant can be greenhouse grown in temperate climates.
Ponytail palm, croton and dwarf poinciana: ornamental plants and flowers of tropical Mexico 2009
drummerboy4476 commented on the word temperate
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day...
March 19, 2009
bilby commented on the word temperate
No, I'm a passing thunderstorm, especially on Thursdays.
March 19, 2009