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noun

sleet

sleet

Sleet (noun) means a wintry mix of rain and snow, or small pellets of ice formed from partly frozen raindrops. Example: “Sleet coated the roads in a thin, slippery layer overnight.”

noun
1
A wintry mix of rain and snow, or small pellets of ice formed from partly frozen raindrops.
"Sleet coated the roads in a thin, slippery layer overnight."
"We drove home through freezing sleet that made the highway treacherous."
verb
1
To fall as sleet.
"It sleeted for most of the drive north."

How to use sleet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishIcy, half-frozen precipitation somewhere between rain and snow.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
freezing sleet sleet and snow

Word forms

sleeted past tense, sleets plural, sleets singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ coated the roads in a thin, slippery layer overnight.

Etymology

From Old English roots related to Old Norse slydda, describing a mix of rain and snow.

Origin: Old English

Rhymes for sleet

See all rhymes for sleet →

Frequently asked questions

What does “sleet” mean?

The word “sleet” means a wintry mix of rain and snow, or small pellets of ice formed from partly frozen raindrops. In plain terms, icy, half-frozen precipitation somewhere between rain and snow.

How do you pronounce “sleet”?

“Sleet” is pronounced sleet (/sliːt/ in IPA).

How do you use “sleet” in a sentence?

Here is “sleet” used in a sentence: “Sleet coated the roads in a thin, slippery layer overnight.”

What part of speech is “sleet”?

Depending on how it is used, “sleet” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “sleet” come from?

The word “sleet” comes from Old English. From Old English roots related to Old Norse slydda, describing a mix of rain and snow.

How many meanings does “sleet” have?

“Sleet” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a wintry mix of rain and snow, or small pellets of ice formed from partly frozen raindrops.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial