weathering

weath·er·ing | \ ˈwet͟h-riŋ

How to pronounce weathering (audio)

, ˈwe-t͟hə- \

Definition of weathering

: the action of the weather conditions in altering the color, texture, composition, or form of exposed objects specifically : the physical disintegration and chemical decomposition of earth materials at or near the earth's surface

Examples of weathering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It is pulverized and mixed with the topsoil, where microbial activity causes the weathering that allows carbon dioxide to be consumed. — Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Could putting pebbles on beaches help solve climate change?," 16 Dec. 2019 Brumm said the style and weathering of the artwork was consistent in the animals and people. — Ben Guarino, Anchorage Daily News, "The oldest story ever told is painted on a cave wall in Indonesia, archaeologists report," 12 Dec. 2019 The experts had arrived at just the right time to catch the whale, recently exposed by the weathering of the foothill. — Riley Black, Smithsonian, "Ancient Whale Fossil Helps Detail How the Mammals Took From Land to Sea," 11 Dec. 2019 And landslides are catalysts that speed up chemical weathering. — Katherine Kornei, Science | AAAS, "A massive experiment in Taiwan aims to reveal landslides’ surprising effect on the climate," 20 Nov. 2019 By analyzing river water and landslide seepage for ions let loose by these two kinds of weathering, scientists can see which one dominates. — Katherine Kornei, Science | AAAS, "A massive experiment in Taiwan aims to reveal landslides’ surprising effect on the climate," 20 Nov. 2019 Deck boards are often exposed to the direct rays of the sun and tend to collect moisture, so the weathering process is accelerated. — Boston.com Real Estate, "Ask the Carpenter: How to protect your new deck this winter," 24 Oct. 2019 That indicates the weathering of bedrock, which unearthed harmful minerals that polluted their water supply, the study said. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "The last woolly mammoth died 4,000 years ago on an island in the Arctic -- and that's significant," 8 Oct. 2019 Yu and his team also oven-dried the grass and sprayed it with water to see whether their formulations would stick it out through weathering. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "New gel lets us spread flame retardant before wildfires start," 5 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weathering.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Weathering.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weathering. Accessed 28 January 2020.

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