Climatize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈklaɪ.mɪtaɪz/

Definitions

1. To become accustomed to a different climate or environmental conditions through natural adaptation or gradual exposure
2. The process by which an organism or person adapts to changes in temperature, humidity, or other environmental factors
3. Adjusting one's body or behavior to suit new or changing climatic conditions over time

Etymology: "Climatize" is a plain formation: the noun "climate" with the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make or become something. "Climate" itself came into English from Old French and ultimately from Greek "klima," meaning "slope" or "inclination," a reference to the angle of the sun's rays striking different parts of the earth's surface. That sense of a zone defined by sunlight is still visible in the word's older meanings. The verb "climatize" is built directly on that noun. Its meaning is specific: a body or behavior gradually adjusts to a new or changing environment, so that a person who moves to a hotter region might climatize over several weeks. The idea of acclimatization, the same process, is often expressed with the related word "acclimatize," which carries the prefix "ac-" and reflects the same sense of adapting to a place.