https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05123
The mechanism by which small particles in the clouds are removed by the formation of raindrops; this is a different mechanism from wash out which is a process which occurs below cloud level. Both the terms rain out and
wash out
have not always been used in accordance with these definitions. For clarity they should be replaced by the terms, in-cloud scavenging
and below-cloud scavenging
, respectively.