sleet

views updated May 14 2018

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.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

sleet

views updated May 23 2018

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.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

sleet

views updated May 08 2018

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.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

sleet

views updated Jun 08 2018

sleet falling snow partially thawed. XIII. repr. OE. *slēte :- *slautjan-, rel. to MLG. slōten pl. hail, MHG. slōze, slōz (G. schlosse) hail(stone).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD