English Explanatory Dictionary

graupel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water condense on a snowflake.
  2. A small ball of rime resulting from this process.

Pronunciation

/ˈɡɹaʊp(ə)l/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-graupel.wav

Word forms

graupel graupels

Etymology

Borrowed from German Graupel(wetter) (literally “graupel (weather)”). Graupel is a back-formation from graupeln (“to hail (with soft hailstones)”) + -el (diminutive suffix); and graupeln is from Graupe (“hulled grain, pearl barley”) (ultimately from Proto-Slavic *krūpà (“grainy substance; groats; hail”) and Proto-Indo-European *krewp-) + -eln (suffix forming verbs, often with a diminutive or frequentative sense).

Synonyms

granular snow hominy snow popcorn snow soft hail snow pellet

Related words

freezing rain ice pellets sleet snow
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