mesocosm

English

Etymology

meso- +‎ -cosm

Pronunciation
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Noun

mesocosm (plural mesocosms)

  1. 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
  • Used especially of medium-sized biological communities.

Further reading
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