acid rain
noun
precipitation, as rain, snow, or sleet, containing relatively high concentrations of acid-forming chemicals, as the pollutants from coal smoke, chemical manufacturing, and smelting, that have been released into the atmosphere and combined with water vapor: harmful to the environment.
Words nearby acid rain
Origin of acid rain
First recorded in 1855–60
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for acid rain
acid rain
noun
rain that contains a high concentration of pollutants, chiefly sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or oil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for acid rain
notes for acid rain
Acid rain is a result of the combination of water with chemicals released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.