Home » Dictionary » sky island

sky island

sky island
 n.— «As breezes from the Gulf of Mexico lift over the Chiricahua Mountains, an exceptional amount of rain falls on this desert region, which has bee aptly called a “sky island.” The volcanic soil among the rock and ample shade produce an ideal microclimate for lush vegetation. Birds, animals, insects and reptiles live exceedingly well in such salubrious surroundings.» —“The Nameless Rocks in Arizona’s ‘Sky Island’” in Wilcox, Arizona New York Times Nov. 2, 1969. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Love Bites (episode #1569)

The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...