1. Exercising moderation and self-restraint: learned to be temperate in eating and drinking.2. Moderate in degree or quality; restrained: temperate criticism.3. Characterized by moderate temperatures, weather, or climate; neither hot nor cold. 4.Biology Of or relating to a virus that infects bacterial cells but rarely causes lysis: temperate bacteriophages.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English temperat, from Latin tempertus, from past participle of temperre, to temper. See temper.
t
m
p
r-
t, t
tus, from past participle of temper
