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freezing rain

American  

noun

  1. rain that falls as a liquid but freezes into glaze upon contact with the ground.


Etymology

Origin of freezing rain

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A massive winter storm continues to hit large parts of the country, dumping snow, sleet and freezing rain and leaving hundreds of thousands without power in the South.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

Further heavy snow was expected in parts of the Northeast Monday, with freezing rain in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the weather service.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

“In addition, widespread freezing rain and sleet are expected across the Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast.”

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

The storm is expected to bring widespread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain to parts of the South on Friday and then spread eastward over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026

The rain had started to gust from the gray sky, a freezing rain.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

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