precipitation

[pri-sip-i-tey-shuh n] /prɪˌsɪp ɪˈteɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
the act of precipitating; state of being precipitated.
2.
a casting down or falling headlong.
3.
a hastening or hurrying in movement, procedure, or action.
4.
sudden haste.
5.
unwise or rash rapidity.
6.
Meteorology.
  1. falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, as rain, snow, or hail.
  2. the amount of rain, snow, hail, etc., that has fallen at a given place within a given period, usually expressed in inches or centimeters of water.
7.
Chemistry, Physics. the precipitating of a substance from a solution.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English < Latin praecipitātiōn- (stem of praecipitātiō) a falling headlong. See precipitate, -ion
Related forms
nonprecipitation, noun
self-precipitation, noun
Examples from the web for precipitation
  • precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches.
  • As falling precipitation evaporates it moistens the dry air from the top down.
  • precipitation, which includes rain and melted snow or sleet, and snowfall is in inches.
  • When the vapor condenses into rain or freezes to make snow, the precipitation is acid, which can fall into lakes.
  • Along the way it cools, its freight of moisture condensing into clouds and falling as precipitation.
  • precipitation is when water falls to the ground in the form of rain, snow, or ice.
  • Another effect involves changes in precipitation, such as rain and snow.
  • Snow and sleet would be frozen precipitation and semi-frozen precipitation, respectively.
  • Desert climate: An arid climate with annual precipitation usually less than 15 inches.
  • This process could well lead to more storms and precipitation.
British Dictionary definitions for precipitation

precipitation

/prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/
noun
1.
(meteorol)
  1. rain, snow, sleet, dew, etc, formed by condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere
  2. the deposition of these on the earth's surface
  3. the amount precipitated
2.
the production or formation of a chemical precipitate
3.
the act of precipitating or the state of being precipitated
4.
rash or undue haste
5.
(spiritualism) the appearance of a spirit in bodily form; materialization
Word Origin and History for precipitation
n.

late 15c., "a casting down" (of the evil angels from heaven), also, in alchemy "separation of a solid substance from a solution," from Middle French precipitation (15c.) and directly from Latin praecipitationem (nominative praecipitatio) "act or fact of falling headlong, haste," noun of action from past participle stem of praecipitare "fall, be hasty," from praeceps "steep" (see precipice). Meaning "sudden haste" is c.1500. Meaning "act of falling from a height" is attested from 1610s. Meteorological sense of "rain, snow, dew, etc." is from 1670s.

precipitation in Medicine

precipitation pre·cip·i·ta·tion (prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tā'shən)
n.
The process of separating a substance from a solution as a solid.

precipitation in Science
precipitation
  (prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tā'shən)   

  1. A form of water, such as rain, snow, or sleet, that condenses from the atmosphere, becomes too heavy to remain suspended, and falls to the Earth's surface. Different atmospheric conditions are responsible for the different forms of precipitation.

  2. The process by which a substance is separated out of a solution as a solid. Precipitation occurs either by the action of gravity or through a chemical reaction that forms an insoluble compound out of two or more soluble compounds.


precipitation in Culture

precipitation definition


In meteorology, the fall of water, ice, or snow deposited on the surface of the Earth from the atmosphere. In chemistry, a chemical reaction in a solution in which a solid material is formed and subsequently falls, as a precipitate, to the bottom of the container.