Meaning & use
katabatic
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Relating to a wind that blows down a slope because cold, heavy air sinks under gravity.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a katabatic wind. It is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- katabatic wind
- katabatic flow
At night, a katabatic wind rushed down the mountain and chilled the valley.
The katabatic flow from the ice sheet can be strong enough to knock a person over.
Common combinations
- katabatic wind
- A katabatic wind kept the campsite cold all night.
- katabatic flow
- The katabatic flow was measured by instruments on the slope.
- strong katabatic wind
- Strong katabatic winds are common near the poles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- downslope
- Downslope is a more general word for anything moving down a slope, while katabatic is a technical term used mainly for winds.
- drainage
- Drainage wind is a less technical synonym for katabatic wind, often used in weather reports.
Opposites
Commonly confused: katabatic or anabatic?
katabatic vs anabatic
Anabatic means the opposite: a wind that blows up a slope as warm air rises.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'katabatic' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Katabatic describes a wind that moves down a slope, so 'flowed down the glacier' fits. Option A describes an anabatic wind, which moves up; C confuses it with a cloud; D uses it for a river, which is not a wind.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “katabatic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.