[kat-uh-bat-ik] 
| (of a wind or air current) moving downward or down a slope. Compare anabatic (def. 1). |
| kat·a·bat·ic (kāt'ə-bāt'ĭk) adj. Of or relating to a cold flow of air traveling downward: a katabatic wind. [Greek katabatikos, pertaining to descent, from katabatos, descending : kata-, cata- + batos, going; see gwā- in Indo-European roots.] |
| katabatic (kāt'ə-bāt'ĭk) Pronunciation Key
Relating to wind currents that blow down a gradient, especially down the slopes of a mountain or glacier. When air comes in contact with the cool surface of a glacier or the upper regions of a mountain or slope, the air cools, becomes dense, and blows downward. Katabatic winds are usually cool and are especially common at night in polar regions. Compare anabatic. |
əˈbæt