PRECIPITATION Meaning and
Definition
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Precipitation refers to the process of water vapor transforming into liquid or solid form and falling to the Earth's surface. It is a crucial part of the Earth's water cycle, which involves the constant movement of water between the atmosphere, land, and oceans. Precipitation occurs when the air becomes saturated with water vapor, reaching its dew point and forming clouds. These clouds can then result in the release of moisture back to the Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Rain is the most common and widely recognized form of precipitation, consisting of water droplets that fall from clouds in the form of liquid. Snow occurs when the temperature is below freezing and the water vapor in the air freezes into ice crystals. Sleet is a mixture of rain and snow, characterized by partially melted ice pellets falling to the ground. Hail is a form of precipitation that occurs within cumulonimbus clouds during thunderstorms, where strong updrafts carry ice pellets upwards until they become too heavy and fall to the ground.
Precipitation plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth, as it replenishes water sources such as lakes, rivers, and groundwater reserves. It also contributes to weather patterns and affects various ecosystems. As such, accurate measurement and monitoring of precipitation are vital for forecasting weather conditions, managing water resources, and understanding climate patterns.
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1. The act of precipitating. 2. The process of formation of a deposit of solid matter held in solution or suspension in a liquid. 3. The phenomenon of clumping of proteins in serum produced by the addition of a specific precipitin. 4. Haste, headlong hurry, precipitancy.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
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Great hurry; tumultuous and blind haste; the operation of throwing down from a liquid a substance held in solution; the process of separating any substance from another. Note.-When substances held in solution fall down in a solid state, they are called precipitates; substances merely suspended in a liquid, as earthy matter in water, which fall or settle down, are called sediments-in the former case the operating cause is chemical, in the latter mechanical.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Top Common Misspellings for PRECIPITATION *
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Other Common Misspellings for PRECIPITATION
Etymology of PRECIPITATION
The word "precipitation" comes from the Latin word "praecipitatio", which is derived from the verb "praecipitare" meaning "to throw headlong, hurl down". This Latin verb is a combination of "prae" meaning "before" and "caput" meaning "head". Therefore, "praecipitatio" literally translates to "throwing down headlong". The term was adopted into English in the 17th century and is used to describe various forms of water falling from the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Similar spelling words for PRECIPITATION
- precipitate,
- precipitously,
- precipitateness,
- precipitancy,
- co-precipitation,
- precipitous,
- precipitousness,
- precipitately,
- precipitating,
- precipitator,
- precipitant,
- precipitin,
- precipitance.
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