cloud seeding

American  

noun

1. any technique of adding material to a cloud to alter its natural development, usually to increase or obtain precipitation.

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cloud seeding Scientific  

1. A method of making a cloud give up its moisture as rain, especially by releasing particles of dry ice or silver iodide into cold clouds. Dry ice freezes water droplets in the cloud, turning them into nuclei for the formation of raindrops. Silver iodide particles are used because they have a crystal structure similar to ice and can also serve as nuclei for raindrop formation.

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cloud seeding Cultural  

1. A technique for producing rain by dropping chemicals or small objects into clouds.

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Etymology

Origin of cloud seeding

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Malaysia is resorting to cloud seeding to bring much-needed rain to the country's "rice bowl" north, where a drought has delayed planting of the staple crop and raised supply fears.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Iranian authorities have carried out several cloud seeding operations to induce rainfall in recent months and resorted to cutting off water supplies periodically to manage consumption.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

The girl playing Doricko said cloud seeding doesn’t cause floods but can be the difference between a harvest and a total loss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

That is a fraction of the lake’s needs, but the project would be a significant advance for cloud seeding and attract more supporters, Doricko said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Ultimately, when lawmakers advanced the bill, cloud seeding was spared from the ban, which would prohibit dispersing chemicals to alter the temperature, weather or “the intensity of the sunlight.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025