Meaning & use

weathering

noun·Academic

The gradual breakdown or wearing away of rock and other materials by wind, water, or temperature change.

See it in a sentence

Centuries of weathering carved the strange shapes into the desert cliffs.

Weathering and erosion together slowly reshape mountains over millions of years.

A note on using this word

Weathering breaks material down in place, while erosion also carries the loosened material away.

Words with a similar meaning

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