p-r-e-c-i-p-i-t-a-t-i-o-n
PRECIPITATION refers to any form of water falling from the atmosphere to Earth's surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail. It can also mean the act of causing a substance to separate from a solution.
19
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
PRECIPITATION has two primary meanings. In meteorology, it refers to any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. This includes rain, snow, sleet, hail, and drizzle. Precipitation is a vital component of the water cycle and essential for life on Earth. In chemistry, precipitation describes the process where a substance separates from a solution as a solid. This occurs when a chemical reaction produces an insoluble compound that settles out of the liquid mixture. The solid formed is called a precipitate.Types of atmospheric precipitation:
The word precipitation derives from Latin roots that vividly describe falling or throwing down. It comes from the Latin praecipitationem (nominative praecipitatio), meaning "a falling, headlong fall," from the past participle stem of praecipitare "to throw headlong, fall, be hasty." This Latin verb combines prae- ("before, forth") + caput (genitive capitis, "head"), literally meaning "head first" or "headlong." The meteorological sense emerged in English in the 1670s, originally referring to the "act of precipitating moisture." The chemical meaning appeared slightly later, around 1660, describing the process of a substance separating from solution. Both uses retain the core concept of something falling or being thrown down - whether water from the sky or solids from a liquid.
•Antarctica is the driest continent despite being covered in ice - it receives less precipitation than the Sahara
•The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram, India, with an average of 467 inches of rain annually
•Virga is precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground - you can see it falling but never feel it
•A single thunderstorm can drop over 100 million gallons of precipitation in just 30 minutes
"The weather forecast predicted heavy precipitation throughout the weekend."
"Adding silver nitrate to the solution caused immediate precipitation of silver chloride."
"Annual precipitation levels have been declining in this region due to climate change."
Words with similar meaning
Rainfall
Water falling as rain
Moisture
Atmospheric water
Downpour
Heavy precipitation
Condensation
Water vapor becoming liquid
Words with opposite meaning
Evaporation
Water becoming vapor
Drought
Lack of precipitation
Aridity
Extreme dryness
Dissolution
Solid dissolving (chemistry)
Verb Form
precipitate
The reaction will precipitate crystals.
Adjective Form
precipitous
A precipitous drop in temperature.
Adverb Form
precipitously
Values fell precipitously.
Related Terms
Yearly rainfall total
Weather prediction
Intense rain/snow
Shorter words within PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation is a crucial component of Earth's water cycle. Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, and rivers, rises into the atmosphere, condenses into clouds, and falls back as precipitation. This continuous cycle distributes fresh water across the planet, supporting all terrestrial life. Without precipitation, Earth would be a barren desert.
Global warming is altering precipitation patterns worldwide. Some regions experience increased flooding due to more intense storms, while others face severe droughts. The distribution of precipitation is becoming more extreme - wet areas are getting wetter, dry areas drier. These changes affect agriculture, water resources, and ecosystem stability.
Meteorologists use sophisticated tools to measure and predict precipitation. Rain gauges, weather radar, and satellite imagery track current conditions. Computer models analyze atmospheric data to forecast precipitation days or weeks ahead. Accurate precipitation prediction is vital for agriculture, flood warning systems, and water resource management.
Precipitation vs. Perspiration
Weather water vs. body sweat
Precipitate vs. Precipitation
Verb/solid vs. noun/process
Precipitous vs. Precipitation
Steep/sudden vs. rain/snow
Other valuable words ending in -TION in Scrabble
Total base points: 19 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 6 | Consonants: 7
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like PRECIPITATION