Word of the Day

: April 9, 2007

pluvial

adjective PLOO-vee-ul

What It Means

1 a : of or relating to rain

b : characterized by abundant rain

2 : resulting from the action of rain

pluvial in Context

The pluvial climate of England didn't dampen our trip; instead, it gave us a chance to visit some excellent pubs and chat with the locals.

Did You Know?

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."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.