precipitation

American  

[pri-sip-i-tey-shuhn] / 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.

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precipitation British  

/ 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

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precipitation Scientific  

/ 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.

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precipitation Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonprecipitation noun
• self-precipitation noun

Etymology

Origin of precipitation

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin praecipitātiōn-, stem of praecipitātiō “a casting down headlong,” equivalent to praecipitāt(us) “cast down headlong” (past participle of praecipitāre precipitate ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Precipitation in California has been about average since October, but more of that precipitation is falling as rain, less as snow.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Sitting between the Atlantic and continental Europe, the UK is also exposed to fast-moving weather fronts, which can bring sudden shifts in temperature, wind, and precipitation.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The situation has been intensified by historic drought that has shifted precipitation patterns.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

The findings also show that broad ecological patterns, such as precipitation gradients and the influence of altitude, remain detectable even under extreme conditions and can be observed at the genetic level.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

I put my life at hazard there, which some might account valor; but I knew it for the rashness of despair, the precipitation of utter despondence.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• drizzle
• rain
• rainfall
• rainstorm
• sleet
• snow
• storm