pluvial

adjective

plu·vi·al | \ ˈplü-vē-əl

How to pronounce pluvial (audio)

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Definition of pluvial

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of or relating to rain

b : characterized by abundant rain

2 of a geologic change : resulting from the action of rain

pluvial

noun

Definition of pluvial (Entry 2 of 2)

: a prolonged period of wet climate

Did You Know?

Adjective

In the early 17th century, clerics began wearing long cloaks known as "pluvials" for protection against the rain during processions. The name of the cloak is based on the Latin word for "rain": "pluvia." By the mid-17th century, "pluvial" was also being used as an adjective meaning "of or relating to rain," as in "pluvial water." Later, in the 19th century, it made a splash in the geologic field as a word describing epochs having relatively high average rainfall and things caused or formed by rain, like "pluvial erosion" or "pluvial lakes."

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The first known use of pluvial was in 1651

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