| Colorful
English! |
| Word or Phrase: |
Part of Speech: |
Idiom or General?: |
Usage? |
Restricted? |
| greenhouse effect |
noun |
general technical |
common, especially in modern conversation
regarding pollution and
the environment |
No |
Meaning: |
| the warming of a planet's surface and lower atmosphere by
a process of solar radiation being trapped by atmospheric gases. This is a
general scientific term used in regards to planetary bodies, however
environmentally conscious individuals discussing the current temperature
rise on the planet earth also commonly use it. |
Example(s): |
1) Some people fear that pollution will cause the greenhouse effect to raise the planet's temperature and
cause the extinction of life on earth.
2) The temperature on the
surface of the planet Venus is hot enough to melt some metals, due to the
greenhouse effect.
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Note: |