Forms: 4–7 temperat, (4–6 -orat(e), 6–7 temprate, 5– temperate. [ad. L. temperāt-us tempered, regulated, restrained, pa. pple. of temperāre to TEMPER.]
1. Of persons, their conduct, practices, etc.: Keeping due measure, self-restrained, moderate.
a. in earlier use esp. = L. modestus, Gr. ἐπιεικής, Not swayed by passion, gentle, mild, forbearing; in later use esp. not extreme, violent, or strongly partisan; moderate, dispassionate.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 305. Clene religioun … is chast, pesible, temperat, tretable.
1382–8. [see TEMPERANT 1].
1538. Elyot, Moderatus, moderate, temperate. Modestus, temperate, well aduised.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 61. Without any temprate protestacion, Thus he began.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 378. He waxed hote … and rayled moste bitterly on them both, being a Germain,… both the Spaniardes and Italians were a great deale more temperate.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 195. Peace Lady, pause, or be more temperate.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xvii. Their conduct was more temperate.
1840. Mill, Diss. & Disc. (1875), I. 407. This is a temperate statement.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iv. I. 490. He belonged to the mildest and most temperate section of the Puritan body.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw. (1889), II. lxxxv. 337. A majority is tyrannical when it … suppresses fair and temperate criticism.
(b) Of a horse: Not over-excitable or impetuous.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 150. The filly … proving after trial high-couraged and temperate.
b. Moderate and self-controlled as regards the indulgence of appetites or desires; abstemious, sober; continent; in late use spec. moderate or abstemious in the use of alcoholic drinks.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 66. Temperat dyete, temperat travaile.
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. xx. He that is temperate fleeth pleasures voluptuous, and with the absence of them is nat discontented.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., T 116. A moderate and temperate supper.
1598. Barckley, Felic. Man (1631), 503. A temperate man that is contented with little.
1678. trans. Lessius, etc. (title), The Temperate Man, or the right way of Preserving Life and Health.
1799. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., Old Wom. (ed. 2), I. 367. [His] temperate habits made him look on luxury with disgust.
1836. J. Hume, Sp. Ho. Com., 24 March. I would wish to bring the people round to temperate habits by giving them cheaper wines.
1850. J. Rewcastle, Aids to Virtue, 9, in E. P. Hood, Bk. Temperance Melody, 100.
| But this, its highest, chiefest claim, | |
| Demands the loftiest praise: | |
| It helps a man to help himself, | |
| By virtue’s temperate ways. |
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 76. The temperate life has gentle pains and pleasures.
1890. Besant, Demoniac, ii. That a young man of strictly temperate habits should thus suddenly become a drunkard.
2. Of things, actions, qualities, conditions, etc.: Tempered, not excessive in degree; moderate.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiii. (Bodl. MS.). He makeþ þe voice smeþe & euen & temperatte. Ibid., X. viii. (1495), 379. By temperate blaste of wynde sparkles ben kyndlyd, and quenchyd by stronge blaste.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. xviii., in Ashm. (1652), 152. Make thyfyre so temperat. Ibid., X. xi. [see QUINARITY].
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. F ij. Thys herbe semeth to be of a temporate warmnes.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 689. Yorkeshire … is thought to be in a temperate measure fruitfull.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Plantations (Arb.), 533. Let not the Gouernment … depend vpon too many Counsellours,… but vpon a temperate Number.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 144. They put their Eggs in Ovens, which they heat with so temperate a warmth,… that chickens are … hatched in them.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. I. viii. 561. With respect to extending Christianity … it must proceed from temperate and gradual proceedings.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. I. iv. 51. At the temperate hour of nine, the bridal festivities closed.
3. spec. Of the weather, season, climate, etc.: Moderate in respect of warmth: neither too hot nor too cold; of mild and equable temperature.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), II. 239. That tyme was as the temperate tyme of yer.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, V. viii. This yere shalle be the most temperate and the moost fertyle … that euer thou sawest.
1587. Mirr. Mag., Albanact, xliv. So cleare the ayre, so temperate the clime.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. ii. (1635), 22. Who findes not by experience one Countrey hot, another cold, a third temperate?
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 186. It enjoys a Temperater Air than would be allowed by the Poet under the fifth Zone.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xvii. (1869), I. 437. The climate was healthy and temperate.
1830. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 107. Mild winters and less temperate summers.
1850. Mrs. Elizabeth Markham, Road to Oregon, 13, in Poems (1921), 25.
| To the Pacific’s temperate clime | |
| Our journey soon began— | |
| Traversing through the desert sands | |
| Towards the setting sun. |
b. Temperate zone: Each of the two zones or belts of the earth’s surface lying between the torrid and frigid zones; i.e., the north temperate zone between the tropic of Cancer and the arctic circle, and the south temperate zone between the tropic of Capricorn and the antarctic circle.
1551. Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 64. Betweene those Frozen zones, and the Burning zone, they appointed two Temperat zones.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. ix. (1635), 206. The Temperate Zone is the space contained betwixt the Tropicke and the Polar circle.
1687. New Atlantis, 3.
| Her Wondrous Situation’s yet unknown, | |
| Whether i’ th’ torrid or the temperate Zone. |
1760. Burke, Eur. Settlements Amer. (ed. 3), I. III. vii. 243 This country [New Mexico] lies for the most part, within the temperate zone, and has a most agreeable climate, and a soil in many places productive of every thing for profit or delight.
1880. Haughton, Phys. Geog., iii. 125. The temperate zones owe very little of their heat to the latent heat of vapour formed in the torrid zone.
4. Of monarchy or sovereignty, hence also of the sovereign: Restricted in extent of authority; not absolute; limited; constitutional. Obs. or arch.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 307. Themperour hath done herein the duty of a temperate Prince.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VII. x. 525. These Barbarians, of temperate Kings became tyrants.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iii. III. (1651), 325. Whether Monarchies should be mixt, temperate, or absolute.
1852. Tennyson, Ode on Wellington, vii. That sober freedom out of which there springs Our loyal passion for our temperate Kings.
5. Of clay or earth: = TEMPERED 1 d. Obs.
1574. Hyll, Planting, 85. Close it with good temperate earth about the graffe.
6. Music. = TEMPERED 1 c.
1876. trans. Blaserna’s Sound, vii. 137. The fruit of these manifold attempts … is the temperate scale, which reached its full development in the middle of the last century, especially by means of the works of Sebastian Bach.
† 7. = Tempered, pa. pple. of TEMPER v. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., III. xix. (1495), d vj b/1. By the drawynge of the ayre the brayne is temperat & comforted.
1634. Holland, Pliny, XX. xiv. II. 61. [Nep] mixed with a third part of bread, and so temperat [ed. 1601 tempered] and incorporat with vinegre to the form of a liniment.
