rain

American  

[reyn] / reɪn /

noun

1. water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 0.02 inch (0.5 millimeters) in diameter.

2. a rainfall, rainstorm, or shower.

   We had a light rain this afternoon.

3. rains, the rainy season; seasonal rainfall, as in India.

4. weather marked by steady or frequent rainfall.

   We had rain most of last summer.

5. a heavy and continuous descent or inflicting of anything.

   a rain of blows; a rain of vituperation.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of rain) to fall (usually used impersonally with it as subject).

   It rained all night.

2. to fall like rain.

   Tears rained from their eyes.

3. to send down rain.

   The lightning flashed and the sky rained on us in torrents.

verb (used with object)

1. to send down in great quantities, as small pieces or objects.

   People on rooftops rained confetti on the parade.

2. to offer, bestow, or give in great quantity.

   to rain favors upon a person.

   Synonyms:

   pour, shower, lavish

3. to deal, hurl, fire, etc., repeatedly.

   to rain blows on someone's head.

verb phrase

1. rain out to cause, by raining, the cancellation or postponement of a sports event, performance, or the like.

   The double-header was rained out yesterday.

idioms

1. rain cats and dogs, to rain very heavily or steadily.

   We canceled our picnic because it rained cats and dogs.

rain British  

/ reɪn /

noun

1. 1. precipitation from clouds in the form of drops of water, formed by the condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere

   2. a fall of rain; shower

   3. ( in combination )

      a raindrop

2. a large quantity of anything falling rapidly or in quick succession

   a rain of abuse

3. 1. regardless of the weather

   2. regardless of circumstances

4. informal perfectly all right; perfectly fit

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verb

1. (intr; with it as subject) to be the case that rain is falling

2. to fall or cause to fall like rain

   the lid flew off and popcorn rained on everyone

3. (tr) to bestow in large measure

   to rain abuse on someone

4. informal to rain heavily; pour

5. cancelled or postponed on account of rain

rain Scientific  

/ rān /

1. 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.

2. See also hydrologic cycle

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rain More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rain

• come in out of the rain
• it never rains but it pours
• right as rain

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Other Word Forms

• rainless adjective
• rainlessness noun

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

High winds and hard rain forced cancellations of flights, trains and ferries on Thursday and brought chaos to roads in southern France, northern Spain and parts of Portugal.

From Barron's

Several parts of the UK have seen their wettest January on record, and rain has continued into February.

From BBC

One anonymous volunteer, who tried out the brain stimulation test, said the experience felt "like a warm shower or small drops of rain" on the scalp.

From BBC

A chill rain beat against the windows as Breuer and his aides reviewed plans to surge ammunition and fuel to an armored brigade positioned in the likely path of any Russian ground attack on NATO.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many residents have told The Times harrowing stories of narrowly escaping smoke-filled homes and streets filled with raining embers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deluge
• drizzle
• flood
• hail
• mist
• monsoon
• precipitation
• rainfall
• rainstorm
• shower
• showers
• sleet
• stream
• torrent