Homoiothermal

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Homoiothermal \Ho*moi`o*ther"mal\, Homoiothermic
  \Ho*moi`o*therm"ic\, a. [Gr. ? like + E. thermal.] (Physiol.)
     Maintaining a uniform body temperature, usually above the
     ambient temperature; h[ae]matothermal; homothermic;
     warm-blooded; -- applied to warm-bodied animals such as birds
     and mammals, because they maintain a nearly uniform


     temperature in spite of the great variations in the
     surrounding air; in distinct from the {cold-blooded}
     ({poikilothermal}) animals, whose body temperature follows
     the variations in temperature of the surrounding medium.
  
     Syn: homeothermal, homeothermic, homothermal, homothermic,
          homoiothermic.
          [1913 Webster] homoiothermism