weathering
noun
weath·er·ing
| \ ˈwet͟h-riŋ
, ˈwe-t͟hə-\
, 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
Try this process out on a sugar cube and feel how powerful weathering can be. — Scientific American, "Weathering Rocks," 8 Aug. 2019 Such conditions permit [carbon dioxide] weathering, suggesting that continental weathering can provide a mechanism for trapping planets in stable snowball states. — Fox News, "Frozen Earthlike planets could support life: study," 2 Aug. 2019 While the cloth jacket had what appeared to be puncture marks and the pants were tattered, the nylon shoes had little weathering. — Miles Blumhardt, The Denver Post, "Jaryd Atadero disappeared on hike near Fort Collins 20 years ago. His father has been looking for answers ever since.," 9 June 2019 The red clay soil of Alabama, a form of ultisol, is produced by intense weathering, season after season with no new soil. — Danielle Jackson, Longreads, "Alabama’s History Haunts, But It Also Instructs," 27 June 2018 Over geologic time, Earth’s CO2 is regulated by the balance between volcanic outgassing, which adds CO2 to the atmosphere, and CO2 removal by chemical weathering of rocks. — Scott Denning, Washington Post, "May the 4th be with Earth, a perfect planet that’s not too Hoth or Tatooine," 4 May 2018 Turquoise forms near the surface as a product of copper weathering, typically caused by rainwater or groundwater. — New York Times, "Aztec Turquoise Tiles May Solve a Mesoamerican Mystery," 13 June 2018 The surface of the marble shows a type of weathering once thought possible only through the passage of centuries and impossible to fabricate artificially. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Something's missing from the newly reinstalled antiquities collection at the Getty Villa," 19 Apr. 2018 Roman concrete has a weaker tensile strength than rebar concrete, as one might imagine, but its ability to stand up to erosion and weathering is unparalleled. — Jonathan Schifman, Popular Mechanics, "The Rock Solid History of Concrete," 12 Oct. 2017These 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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