rain cloud

American  

noun

1. a cloud or a mass of clouds that yields rain.

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Etymology

Origin of rain cloud

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

In many productions, Hamlet stalks the stage in a fog of misery, as if trailing a rain cloud above his head like a balloon on a string.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

“Imagine a rain cloud, but instead of water droplets coming down, it's like molten rock droplets raining out of the sky,” says Prof Drabon.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2024

Its radar allowed you to zoom in on the block—the house, even—where a rain cloud ended.

From Slate • Dec. 29, 2022

Large sheer silk hats fluttered by — like a rain cloud being blown by the wind.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2022

The sun came suddenly from behind a rain cloud, flooding the room with glorious light that wavered on the walls like water.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt