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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Precipitation: Definition, Examples & Common Uses (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：atmospheric water fall (precipitation)

precipitation 🔊

/prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/

All forms of water that fall from the sky to the ground, like rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Precipitation illustration showing rain and snow on a window, explaining weather meaning.

atmospheric water fall 🔊

➕

/ˌætməsˈferɪk ˈwɔːtər fɔːl/

The process where water in various forms, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, descends from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'praecipitare' (to throw headlong), from 'prae-' (before) and 'caput' (head).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a precipice (cliff) where things fall, just like precipitation falls from the sky.

📖 Example

The weather app warns of heavy precipitation tomorrow, so I'm definitely bringing my umbrella to work. 🔊 The weather application forecasts heavy atmospheric water fall tomorrow, prompting me to bring my umbrella to work.

🔗 Collocations

heavy precipitation – intense rainfall or snowfall

annual precipitation – total rainfall over a year

precipitation rate – speed at which precipitation falls

🔄 Synonyms

rainfall (n.) – water falling as rain from the sky

snowfall (n.) – snow falling from the sky

downfall (n.) – a sudden or heavy fall of rain or snow

🚫 Antonyms

drought (n.) – a prolonged period of dry weather with little or no precipitation

🌱 Derivatives

precipitate (v.) – to cause something to happen suddenly or to fall from a solution

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'praecipitare', meaning a headlong fall. Adopted in meteorology for atmospheric water deposition and in chemistry for solid separation from solution.

Meaning 2：chemical solid settling (precipitation)

precipitation 🔊

/prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/

In chemistry, the process where a solid substance separates from a liquid solution and falls to the bottom.

Chemical precipitation diagram showing solid settling in a beaker for science definition.

chemical solid settling 🔊

➕

/ˈkemɪkəl ˈsɒlɪd ˈsetlɪŋ/

In chemistry, the process where a solid substance forms and separates from a liquid solution, typically settling at the bottom.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

During the science experiment, we added a special chemical to the mixture and observed the precipitation of bright yellow crystals at the bottom of the beaker. 🔊 In the science experiment, adding a specific chemical caused the formation and settling of bright yellow crystals at the beaker's bottom.

🔗 Collocations

chemical precipitation – formation of a solid from a solution

precipitation reaction – a reaction that produces an insoluble solid

selective precipitation – separation of ions by forming solids

🔄 Synonyms

sedimentation (n.) – the process of settling or being deposited as a sediment

deposition (n.) – the action of depositing something, such as a solid from a solution

crystallization (n.) – formation of crystals from a solution

🚫 Antonyms

dissolution (n.) – the process of dissolving a solid into a liquid

🌱 Derivatives

precipitant (n.) – a substance that causes precipitation