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subhumid

subhumid

1 6.5
A climate with medium humidity between wet and dry
  • adjective
  • /sʌbˈhjuːmɪd/
  • Specialized
: subhúmedo
  • Farmers in subhumid areas often rely on irrigation to supplement rainfall for optimal crop growth.

Examples

  • The climate in the subhumid region allows for a variety of crops to thrive during the rainy season.

  • Over the next 50 years, though, it is more likely that land-cover changes in the humid and subhumid regions of the tropics will lead to substantial changes in regional climate than those occurring in dryland areas.

    Academic text (1993)
  • But it was not until the 1950s that manuring became widespread in the northern subhumid areas, where most arable fields were fixed and cultivated twice a year.

    Academic text (1994)
  • AEZ III is classified as subhumid, marginally suited to growing coffee, and constitutes the greater part of the nine percent of the district, which, for Kenya, is considered of high potential for agriculture.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Their soils are shallow, usually acidic and poor in organic matter, and subject to a very irregular climate, both annually and interannually, because their features are both arid and subhumid.

    Academic text (2002)
  • That is especially true in arid, semiarid, or subhumid places—collectively called drylands—like much of Africa, where rivers are lifelines.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In a subhumid environment, the balance of moisture is key for maintaining healthy ecosystems and agriculture.

Antonyms

46 1.0

Air that has a lot of water and feels damp

19 4.0

Very dry land or weather with little rain that cannot grow plants

How Humid

wet
825 1.0
humid
46 1.0
subhumid
  • Specialized
1 6.5
arid
19 4.0

Surface Forms

subhumid positive

Morphology

subhumid = humid (transparent) = sub + humid

The meaning is a straightforward prefixation: 'sub-' (slightly/under) + 'humid' yields 'moderately humid', which learners can infer from the base.

Etymology

The word subhumid comes from two parts: sub- meaning 'under' or 'less', as in subway or submarine, and humid, from Latin humidus, meaning 'moist' and shared with humidity. So subhumid describes a climate that is not fully wet but not dry either, a moderate level of moisture between humid and dry.