Clime
/klaɪm/noun
A region or climate, especially as defined by weather conditions.
Did you know?Clime comes through Old French from Greek *klima* meaning a “slope” or “zone,” because ancient astronomers imagined the Earth as divided into tilted bands by the heavens.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱlei-
“to lean, slope, or bend”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλῖμα (klîma)
“a slope; a region or zone of the Earth determined by the sun’s angle”
Late Latin
Latin
clima
“a climate or region”
Old French
Old French
clime
“a region or climate”
Middle English
English
clime
“a region, especially one defined by weather”
Modern English
English
clime
“a poetic or literary word for a climate or region”