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sleet

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The definition of sleet is a form of precipitation that is halfway between rain and snow and that consists of ice pellets, or a thin coating of ice that forms on the ground when there is freezing rain.

(noun)

Wet ice pellets that are a mix of rain and snow and that fall in the late fall and early winter are an example of sleet.

Sleet is the falling of partially frozen rain.

(verb)

When ice pellets like freezing rain fall from the sky in early winter, this is an example of sleet.

See sleet in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

partly frozen rain, or rain that freezes as it falls
transparent or translucent precipitation in the form of pellets of ice that are smaller than 5 mm (.2 in)
the icy coating formed when rain freezes on trees, streets, etc.

Origin: ME slete < OE *sliete, akin to Ger schlosse, hail < IE base *(s)leu-, loose, lax > slur, slug

intransitive verb

to shower in the form of sleet

Related Forms:

sleety adjective

See sleet in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Precipitation consisting of generally transparent frozen or partially frozen raindrops.
A mixture of rain and snow or hail.
A thin icy coating that forms when rain or sleet freezes, as on trees or streets.

intransitive verb sleet·ed, sleet·ing, sleets

To shower sleet.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English slete

Origin: , from Old English *slēte

Related Forms: