mesocosm
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]mesocosm (plural mesocosms)
- Any system larger than a microcosm but smaller than a macrocosm, especially when used as an outdoor experimental system that examines the natural environment under controlled conditions.
- 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, chapter 7, in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Henry Holt and Company:
- Researchers from the University of Queensland were building an elaborate Plexiglas mesocosm that was going to allow them to manipulate CO₂ levels on a patch of reef, even as it allowed the various creatures that depend on the reef to swim in and out.
Usage notes
[edit]- Used especially of medium-sized biological communities.
