Showing results for "weathering"

• present participle of weather.

weathering

American  

[weth-er-ing] / ˈwɛð ər ɪŋ /

noun

1. Architecture. wash.

2. material used as a weather strip.

3. Geology. the various mechanical and chemical processes that cause exposed rock to decompose.

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weathering British  

/ ˈwɛðərɪŋ /

noun

1. the mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks by the action of rain, snow, cold, etc

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weathering Scientific  

/ wĕth′ər-ĭng /

1. Any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which rocks exposed to the weather undergo chemical decomposition and physical disintegration. Although weathering usually occurs at the Earth's surface, it can also occur at significant depths, for example through the percolation of groundwater through fractures in bedrock. It usually results in changes in the color, texture, composition, or hardness of the affected rocks.

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weathering Cultural  

1. The process by which rocks are broken down into small grains and soil. Weathering can happen through rainfall, ice formation, or the action of living things, such as algae and plant roots. It is part of the geological cycle.

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Etymology

Origin of weathering

First recorded in 1655–65; weather + -ing ¹

Explanation

When rocks are gradually worn away by water, salt, wind, plants, and animals, it's called weathering. Many of the world's most breathtaking rock formations are the result of weathering. Weathering is the process of rocks disintegrating due to weather conditions or other biological causes. This includes chemical effects caused by minerals, physical pressure from plants or animals, and the scraping of ice as it freezes and thaws. During weathering, the worn-away pieces of rock stay nearby; if they're swept away by water or wind, that's called erosion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

weathering

The USC coach should’ve been used to weathering pressure by that point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Volcanoes create new rock, plate tectonics reshape the continents and ocean floors, and weathering gradually breaks down exposed landscapes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

France is weathering a third heatwave in less than three months, with fires raging in several parts of the country over the past week.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Among those technologies is direct air capture—in which carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere, enhanced rock weathering where rocks like basalt are spread over farm fields to capture dissolved carbon in rainwater.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

There, hundreds and hundreds of fossil bones were to be found weathering out of the hills.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• depletion
• depreciation
• erosion