acid precipitation

noun

meteorological precipitation that is relatively acidic.

Origin of acid precipitation

First recorded in 1975–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

acid precipitation in Science

acid precipitation

Any form of precipitation, including rain, snow, hail, fog, or dew, that is high in acid pollutants, especially sulfuric and nitric acid. Acid precipitation has a pH of less than 5.6 (the normal acidity of unpolluted atmospheric water) and is often less than pH 5.0. Also called acid rain See Note at acid deposition.