Definition of water equivalent in English:
water equivalent
noun ˈwɔːtə(r) ɪˌkwɪvələnt
1Meteorology. More fully "snow water equivalent". The amount of precipitation represented by a quantity of snow, sleet, or ice.
2Physics. The amount of water, measured in terms of mass, which requires the same amount of heat as a given body in order to raise its temperature by the same amount. Now rare.
Origin
Mid 19th century (in an earlier sense). From water + equivalent.
Definition of water equivalent in US English:
water equivalent
nounˈwɔːtə(r) ɪˌkwɪvələnt
1Meteorology. More fully "snow water equivalent". The amount of precipitation represented by a quantity of snow, sleet, or ice.
2Physics. The amount of water, measured in terms of mass, which requires the same amount of heat as a given body in order to raise its temperature by the same amount. Now rare.
Origin
Mid 19th century (in an earlier sense). From water + equivalent.