rain shadow

American

noun

Meteorology.

a region in the lee of mountains that receives less rainfall than the region windward of the mountains.

rain shadow British

noun

the relatively dry area on the leeward side of high ground in the path of rain-bearing winds

"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

rain shadow Scientific

An area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a topographic barrier, especially a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture on the windward side, causing the leeward side to be dry.

Etymology

Origin of rain shadow

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

See Examples For:

rain shadow

The team sampled soils from six Kansas locations, spanning the wetter eastern region to the higher, drier High Plains in the west, which receive less rain because of the Rocky Mountains' rain shadow.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025

A historic city of exposed wood structures in a thirsty rain shadow.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023

This corner of the Olympic Peninsula sits in an exceptional rain shadow, making for one of the driest climates in Western Washington.

From Seattle Times ● May 18, 2022

There is no timber industry here in what is a rain shadow formed by the surrounding range.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2019

Like the Peruvian littoral, the Tehuacan Valley lies in a double rain shadow, sandwiched between two mountain ranges.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023