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The word graupel is Germanic in origin; it is the diminutive of Graupe, meaning "pearl barley." According to etymologists, there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word krupa, which has the same meaning. Graupel was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of graupel).
Examples of graupel in a Sentence
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The latest: Parts of the area saw small amounts of hail and graupel early last week.
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Troy Smith, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
The process of creating hail is similar to the process of creating graupel.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
Some soft hail or graupel may occur later in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2024
Lightning occurs when rain, ice crystals and a type of hail called graupel collide in a thunderstorm cloud.
—Chris Vagasky, The Conversation, 20 June 2024
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Troy Smith, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
The process of creating hail is similar to the process of creating graupel.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
Some soft hail or graupel may occur later in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2024
Lightning occurs when rain, ice crystals and a type of hail called graupel collide in a thunderstorm cloud.
—Chris Vagasky, The Conversation, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for graupel
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Cite this Entry
“Graupel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graupel. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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