tropopause

noun

tro·​po·​pause ˈtrō-pə-ˌpȯz How to pronounce tropopause (audio) ˈträ- How to pronounce tropopause (audio)
: the region at the top of the troposphere
also : a comparable layer of a celestial body

Examples of tropopause in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This created an enormous umbrella cloud in the stratosphere and a smaller cloud slightly below it in the tropopause. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 27 June 2023 This river of wind blowing west to east flows through the tropopause, the boundary between the relatively tempestuous troposphere and the adversely calm stratosphere. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 5 Sep. 2023 The anvil shape visible in the cloud structures in both images marks what's known as the tropopause. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2016 Higher up, the tropopause meets the stratosphere. Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2022 Ordinarily, the tropopause acts like a ceiling, deflecting a thunderstorm's upwelling currents of warm, moist air. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2016 This happens because the boundary, called the tropopause, acts like a ceiling. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2021 Thunderstorms flatten out at the tropopause, or top of the troposphere, the lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere, since a lid of warm air suppresses continued upward development. Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2022 When strong storms reach the tropopause, their tops flatten out, giving them an anvil-like appearance. Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 7 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

tropo- (in troposphere) + pause entry 1

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tropopause was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near tropopause

Cite this Entry

“Tropopause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropopause. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tropopause

noun
tro·​po·​pause ˈtrōp-ə-ˌpȯz How to pronounce tropopause (audio) ˈträp- How to pronounce tropopause (audio)
: the region at the top of the troposphere

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