surface runoff — water from rain or melted snow that flows over the ground surface rather than being absorbed into the soil
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: water from rain or melted snow that flows over the ground surface rather than being absorbed into the soil
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsɜːrfɪs ˈrʌnɔːf/
Example Sentences
- The city installed more drains to handle the surface runoff from the shopping mall's giant parking lot.
- My garden turned into a mini river thanks to surface runoff from my neighbor's concrete driveway.
- Environmental scientists study surface runoff to understand water pollution patterns.
surface runoff
NOUN[/ˈsɜːrfɪs ˈrʌnɔːf/]
water from rain or melted snow that flows over the ground surface rather than being absorbed into the soil
water from rain or melted snow that flows over the ground surface rather than being absorbed into the soil
Surface runoff blocks the turnoff, forcing a cutoff!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Surface derives from Latin superficies, combining super (above) and facies (face/appearance), originally meaning the upper boundary or outer face of an object. Runoff is a compound of the verb run (to move rapidly) and the adverb off (away), describing water flowing away from a surface, particularly in hydrology.
Breakdown
Surface: super- (above) + -ficies (face/appearance, from Latin facies). Runoff: run (move rapidly) + off (away/separate), a phrasal verb construction describing water movement across terrain.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The city installed more drains to handle the surface runoff from the shopping mall's giant parking lot.”
“My garden turned into a mini river thanks to surface runoff from my neighbor's concrete driveway.”
“Environmental scientists study surface runoff to understand water pollution patterns.”
“The farmer planted trees to reduce surface runoff and prevent his topsoil from running away to vacation.”
📚Related Words
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