Meaning & use
weathering simple
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The natural process by which rock, soil, or other materials are slowly broken down by weather and living things.
Grammar: Weathering is uncountable, so it has no plural: 'the weathering of rocks', not 'weatherings'.
Patterns
- the weathering of something
- weathering by wind and rain
- chemical weathering
Weathering slowly turns solid rock into loose soil.
The cliffs show heavy weathering from wind and salt water.
phrasefixed phrase
A plain, easy-to-understand explanation of the process of weathering.
Grammar: Here 'simple' describes the explanation, not the process; it is not a scientific term on its own.
Patterns
- a simple definition of weathering
- weathering, in simple terms
In simple terms, weathering is how rocks crumble over time.
The teacher gave a simple explanation of weathering for the younger class.
Common combinations
- chemical weathering
- Chemical weathering can dissolve limestone over thousands of years.
- physical weathering
- Physical weathering splits rocks when water freezes inside cracks.
- the weathering of rock
- The weathering of rock creates the sand on this beach.
- weathering and erosion
- Students often confuse weathering and erosion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- erosion
- Erosion means material is worn away and carried off by wind, water, or ice; weathering only breaks it down in place.
- decay
- Used for living or organic things rotting; weathering is mainly about rock and stone.
- breakdown
- A general word for something falling apart; it lacks the scientific focus on weather and natural forces.
Word family
Commonly confused: weathering simple or erosion? weathering simple or whether?
weathering simple vs erosion
Weathering breaks rock down where it is; erosion then moves the broken material somewhere else. Exams often test this difference.
weathering simple vs whether
Whether is a conjunction for choices, as in 'whether or not'. It sounds like the start of weathering but is unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'weathering' correctly as a science term?
Choose one answer.
Weathering is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb 'is'. 'Are caused' is wrong because the subject is singular, and the other options break basic word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “weathering simple”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.