orographic

adjective

oro·​graph·​ic ˌȯr-ə-ˈgra-fik 

variants or less commonly orographical

ˌȯr-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 

: 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

As winds are forced up to 13,000 feet along the steep slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, rapidly condensing air will squeeze out extra precipitation thanks to orographic lift. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

That's because cloud seeding is mostly done with clouds that rise over mountains in the winter time, called orographic clouds, Rauber said. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Of course, the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Sunset fire zones are all located on — or adjacent to — hilly terrain where the combination of slope and maybe even some orographic enhancement could increase rainfall and debris flow amounts. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025

For portions of Puerto Rico, moisture associated with Jerry combined with local orographic effects may result in up to 2 to 4 inches of rain, with isolated 6 inches. — Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

orography + -ic entry 1, probably after French orographique or German orographisch

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for orographic

• autographic
• biographic
• calligraphic
• cartographic
• cryptographic
• demographic
• epigraphic
• ethnographic
• geographic
• holographic
• hydrographic
• lithographic