Definition of temperate
1 a
: having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature
b
: found in or associated with a moderate climate
- temperate insects
2
: marked by moderation: such as
a
: keeping or held within limits : not extreme or excessive : mild
b
: moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire
c
: moderate in the use of alcoholic beverages
d
: marked by an absence or avoidance of extravagance, violence, or extreme partisanship
3
: existing as a prophage in infected cells and rarely causing lysis
- temperate bacteriophages
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temperately
adverb
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