pluvial
[ ploo-vee-uh l ]
/ ˈplu vi əl /
adjective
of or relating to rain, especially much rain; rainy.
Geology. occurring through the action of rain.
noun
Geology. a rainy period formerly regarded as coeval with a glacial age, but now recognized as episodic and, in the tropics, as characteristic of interglacial ages.
Nearby words
plutonian, plutonic, plutonism, plutonium, plutus, pluvial, pluviometer, pluviosity, pluvious, pluviôse, ply
Origin of pluvial
Related formsin·ter·plu·vi·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pluvial
British Dictionary definitions for pluvial
pluvial
/ (ˈpluːvɪəl) /
adjective
of, characterized by, or due to the action of rain; rainypluvial insurance
noun
geology of or relating to rainfall or precipitation
a climate characterized by persistent heavy rainfall, esp one occurring in unglaciated regions during the Pleistocene epoch
Word Origin for pluvial
C17: from Latin pluviālis rainy, from pluvia rain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for pluvial
pluvial
1650s, "pertaining to rain," from French pluvial (12c.), from Latin pluvialis "pertaining to rain, rainy, rain-bringing," from (aqua) pluvia "rain (water)," from fem. of pluvius "rainy," from plovere "to rain," from PIE root *pleu- "to flow, to swim" (cf. Sanskrit plavate "navigates, swims;" Greek plynein "to wash," plein "to navigate," ploein "to float, swim," plotos "floating, navigable;" Armenian luanam "I wash;" Old English flowan "to flow;" Old Church Slavonic plovo "to flow, navigate;" Lithuanian pilu, pilti "to pour out," plauju, plauti "to swim, rinse").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for pluvial
pluvial
[ plōō′vē-əl ]
Relating to or caused by rain.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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