Main Entry:: tem·per·ate
Pronunciation:: \ˈtem-p(ə-)rət\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: Middle English temperat, from Latin temperatus, from past participle of temperare
Date:: 14th century

1: marked by moderation: 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 2 a: having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature b: found in or associated with a moderate climate <temperate insects>3: existing as a prophage in infected cells and rarely causing lysis <temperate bacteriophages>

— tem·per·ate·ly adverb

— tem·per·ate·ness noun

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