In the early 17th century, clerics began wearing long cloaks known as "pluvials" for protection against the rain during processions. The name of the cloak is based on the Latin word for "rain": "pluvia." By the mid-17th century, "pluvial" was also being used as an adjective meaning "of or relating to rain," as in "pluvial water." Later, in the 19th century, it made a splash in the geologic field as a word describing epochs having relatively high average rainfall and things caused or formed by rain, like "pluvial erosion" or "pluvial lakes."
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Swiss Re, for instance, last year started considering pluvial—that is, heavy rainfall, similar to the recent European floods—flood zones when assessing risks. Julie Steinberg, WSJ, 22 July 2021
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin pluvialis, from pluvia rain, from feminine of pluvius rainy, from pluere to rain — more at flow