VIDEO FOR RAIN
What Is The Difference Between "Weather" vs. "Climate"?
Although there is a wealth of scientific evidence, the difference between weather and climate can be difficult to understand. But all hope is not lost—we're here to help you learn the difference.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Idioms about rain
rain cats and dogs, Informal. to rain very heavily or steadily: We canceled our picnic because it rained cats and dogs.
Origin of rain
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English rein; Old English regn, rēn, cognate with Dutch, German regen, Old Norse regn, Gothic rign; (verb) Middle English reinen, Old English regnian
OTHER WORDS FROM rain
rainless, adjectiverain·less·ness, nounWords nearby rain
rail-splitter, railway, railwayman, raiment, Raimondi, rain, rainband, rainbird, rainbow, rainbow bird, Rainbow Bridge
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use rain in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for rain
rain
/ (reɪn) /
noun
verb
US and Canadian term: rained out
See also rains
Derived forms of rain
rainless, adjectiveWord Origin for rain
Old English regn; related to Old Frisian rein, Old High German regan, Gothic rign
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for rain
rain
[ rān ]
Water that condenses from water vapor in the atmosphere and falls to Earth as separate drops from clouds. Rain forms primarily in three ways: at weather fronts, when the water vapor in the warmer mass of air cools and condenses; along mountain ranges, when a warm mass of air is forced to rise over a mountain and its water vapor cools and condenses; and by convection in hot climates, when the water vapor in suddenly rising masses of warm air cools and condenses. See also hydrologic cycle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with rain
rain
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.