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sleet
sleet precipitation of small, partially melted grains of ice. As raindrops fall from clouds, they pass through layers of air at different temperatures. If they pass through a layer with a temperature below the freezing point, they turn into sleet. Snowflakes that have melted by passing through a warm layer will turn into sleet if they then pass through a freezing layer. Sleet often falls together with snow and rain, and may deposit an icy coating on exposed surfaces. Sleet occurs only during the winter, while hail , a different form of icy precipitation, may fall at any time of the year. |
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"sleet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sleet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-sleet.html "sleet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-sleet.html |
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sleet
sleet / slēt/ • n. a form of precipitation consisting of ice pellets, often mixed with rain or snow. ∎ a thin coating of ice formed by sleet or rain freezing on contact with a cold surface. • v. [intr.] (it sleets, it is sleeting, etc.) sleet falls: it was sleeting so hard we could barely see. DERIVATIVES: sleet·y adj. |
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Cite this article
"sleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-sleet.html "sleet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-sleet.html |
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sleet
sleet falling snow partially thawed. XIII. repr. OE. *slēte :- *slautjan-, rel. to MLG. slōten pl. hail, MHG. slōze, slōz (G. schlosse) hail(stone).
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T. F. HOAD. "sleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "sleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sleet.html T. F. HOAD. "sleet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sleet.html |
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sleet
sleet Precipitation in the form of a mixture of rain and melting snow. In North America the term is applied to ice pellets of less than 5 mm in diameter.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-sleet.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-sleet.html |
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sleet
sleet Precipitation in the form of a mixture of rain and melting snow. In N. America the term is applied to ice pellets of less than 5 mm in diameter.
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-sleet.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "sleet." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-sleet.html |
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sleet
sleet
•accrete, beat, beet, bittersweet, bleat, cheat, cleat, clubfeet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, Crete, deceit, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, eat, effete, élite, entreat, escheat, estreat, excrete, feat, feet, fleet, gîte, greet, heat, leat, leet, Magritte, maltreat, marguerite, meat, meet, mesquite, mete, mistreat, neat, outcompete, peat, Pete, petite, pleat, receipt, replete, seat, secrete, sheet, skeet, sleet, splay-feet, street, suite, sweet, teat, treat, tweet, wheat
•backbeat • heartbeat • deadbeat
•breakbeat • offbeat • browbeat
•downbeat • drumbeat • upbeat
•sugar beet • Blackfeet • flatfeet
•forefeet • exegete • polychaete
•lorikeet • parakeet
•athlete, biathlete, decathlete, heptathlete, pentathlete, triathlete
•kick-pleat • paraclete • obsolete
•gamete • crabmeat • sweetmeat
•mincemeat • forcemeat • backstreet
•concrete • window seat
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"sleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-sleet.html "sleet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-sleet.html |
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