Definition of "precipitation" []

• A headlong fall or rush. (noun)
• Abrupt or impulsive haste. (noun)
• A hastening or acceleration, especially one that is sudden or unexpected: He is responsible for the precipitation of his own demise. (noun)
• Meteorology Any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, that falls to the earth's surface. (noun)
• Meteorology The quantity of such water falling in a specific area within a specific period. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "These climate models tend to indicate that these extremes in precipitation would tend to get more extreme as the climate continues to warm because the air will hold more and more moisture as it gets warmer."
• "If precipitation is a factor then so is the absence of precipitation."
• "Increased precipitation is a sign of global warming."