The word "anabatic" is spelled with four syllables: /æ-nə-bæ-tɪk/. The first syllable is pronounced with the "æ" sound, as in "cat", followed by the weakly stressed "nə" for second syllable. The third syllable has a short "a" vowel sound, like in "bat", while the final syllable is pronounced with a schwa sound as "tɪk". The word "anabatic" refers to an upward movement of air, typically in the atmosphere or within a mountainous region.
Anabatic, as an adjective, refers to the vertical movement or upward flow of air, particularly within the atmosphere. This term is commonly used in meteorology and climatology to describe the physical process by which air rises under the influence of local heating and becomes a part of the atmospheric circulation. Derived from the Greek word "anabatos," meaning "to go up," anabatic refers to the ascending motion of air masses, typically triggered by localized surface heating, such as the sun's radiation on the ground.
In regions with anabatic conditions, warm air near the Earth's surface is heated through solar radiation, causing it to become less dense than the surrounding cooler air. Consequently, this lighter warmed air begins to rise, creating vertical air currents. As the air parcel ascends, it cools due to the diminishing pressure and expands, which can lead to the formation of clouds and, even potentially, precipitation.
The phenomenon of anabatic winds is particularly prevalent in areas with rugged or mountainous terrains, where the slopes are heated by the sun, causing air to move upslope. Anabatic winds play a significant role in local weather patterns, influencing temperature, cloud formation, and even affecting surface winds in certain cases. The opposite of anabatic is katabatic, which describes the downward flow of air, commonly associated with gravity-driven slopes or downslope winds.
Relating to the anabasis of a disease; increasing in severity.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "anabatic" comes from the Greek term "anábasis", which means "a march upward" or "an ascent". The term is composed of the Greek prefix "ana-" (meaning "up" or "back") and the root "basis" (meaning "a step" or "a going"). "Anábasis" was historically used to refer to a military expedition or an upward journey, particularly the famous expedition of Cyrus the Younger from the coast of Turkey to the interior of Mesopotamia around 401 BCE. The term "anabatic" is derived from this ancient Greek term and is now used in meteorology to describe a type of wind flow that occurs when warm air rises and flows up slopes or hills.