orographic

adjective

oro·​graph·​ic ˌȯr-ə-ˈgra-fik How to pronounce orographic (audio)
variants or less commonly orographical
: of or relating to mountains
especially : associated with or induced by the presence of mountains
orographic rainfall

Examples of orographic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In this case, the Catoctin Mountains helped force air flowing in from the west to rise through a process known as orographic lift. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Those areas could see the brunt of the rainfall thanks to orographic lift, which is when air is pushed by the wind up a mountain. NBC News, 18 Aug. 2023 This is called orographic lift. Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2023 Depending on wind direction, orographic lifting can generate turbulence, which is uncomfortable in cruise flight but challenging during an approach. Les Abend, CNN, 17 Jan. 2023 Yes, the storms ultimately produce significant precipitation at landfall through meteorological processes, orographic lift associated with mountains, and so forth. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2023 An orographic cirrus cloud formation on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, as seen at night by the Suomi NPP satellite on 12/18/13. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2013 The white stuff that seems to streak off the mountaintops comprise what's known as orographic cirrus clouds. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2013 This is bittersweet for California Storms that solely rely on orographic lift normally bring an unequal distribution of rain chances that leave the Central Valley bone-dry. Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orographic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orographic was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near orographic

Cite this Entry

“Orographic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orographic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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