rainmaker

[ reyn-mey-ker ]
See synonyms for: rainmakersrainmaking on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. (among American Indians) a medicine man who by various rituals and incantations seeks to cause rain.

  2. a person who induces rainfall by using various scientific techniques, as the seeding of clouds with silver iodide crystals from an airplane.

  1. Slang. an executive or lawyer with exceptional ability to attract clients, use political connections, increase profits, etc.: The president has several rainmakers among his advisers.

Origin of rainmaker

1
An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; rain + maker

Other words from rainmaker

  • rainmaking, noun

Words Nearby rainmaker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rainmaker in a sentence

  • But the wind was against the rainmaker; nature conspired to mock him before men as the quack that he was.

    Trail's End | George W. Ogden
  • The town knew all about the rainmaker at work behind the shielding rows of tall corn in Judge Thayer's garden.

    Trail's End | George W. Ogden

British Dictionary definitions for rainmaker

rainmaker

/ (ˈreɪnˌmeɪkə) /


noun
  1. (among Native Americans) a professional practitioner of ritual incantations or other actions intended to cause rain to fall

  2. informal, mainly US an influential employee who creates a great deal of business or revenue for his or her firm

Derived forms of rainmaker

  • rainmaking, noun

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