drizzle
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.very light rain that feels like a fine mist.
n.light precipitation consisting of numerous, uniformly dispersed water droplets with a diameter of less than 0.5 millimetres.
Simple“We went for a walk despite the light drizzle that started at noon.”
In context“A persistent drizzle hung over the valley all morning, reducing visibility and making the mountain paths treacherous for the hikers.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small amount of liquid, like honey or sauce, poured over food.
n.a small quantity of liquid poured in a thin, steady stream over food for flavour or decoration.
Simple“The lemon cake was finished with a sweet sugar drizzle.”
In context“The chef added a final drizzle of truffle oil to the risotto just before it was carried out to the dining room.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to rain in very small, light drops.
v.to rain lightly in very small, fine drops; typically used in the impersonal 'it' form.
Simple“It began to drizzle just as we reached the park, so we stayed under the trees.”
In context“Although it had been drizzling intermittently throughout the afternoon, the match officials decided the pitch was still safe for play.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to pour a liquid slowly and evenly over something.
v.to pour a liquid in a very thin stream over a surface, especially in food preparation.
Simple“Drizzle some olive oil over the salad before you serve it.”
In context“The baker carefully drizzled the melted chocolate over the pastries in a zigzag pattern to create a professional finish.”
Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern English droze and drowse. Compare also dialectal Swedish drösla.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.