rainwater

¹

[reyn-waw-ter, -wot-er]

noun

1. water fallen as rain.

Rainwater

²

[reyn-waw-ter, -wot-er]

noun

1. (Leo) James, 1917–86, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1975.

rainwater

/ ˈreɪnˌwɔːtə /

noun

1. water from rain (as distinguished from spring water, tap water, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of rainwater¹

before 1000; Middle English rein water, Old English regn-wæter; rain, water

Example Sentences

They all depend upon clean, unpolluted water channeled from the rainwater running through that territory into the rivers and streams.

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There are fears that diseases could spread as rainwater has mixed with sewage water.

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"Here, we just watch the mushrooms grow -- with help from recycled rainwater and machines that speed up production."

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At first, they were empty, but with each passing storm, rainwater surged through the waterways, and the ponds gradually filled.

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However, "bad design and bad workmanship" on the Fishwick project meant that rainwater got trapped behind the insulation and penetrated walls in houses such as the Rashids', according to building surveyor David Walter.

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Related Words

• drink 
• rain