rainwater
noun
water fallen as rain.
rainwater
1 American
[reyn-waw-ter, -wot-er]
/ ˈreɪnˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /
noun
Rainwater
2
American
[reyn-waw-ter, -wot-er]
/ ˈreɪnˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /
noun
rainwater
British
/ ˈreɪnˌwɔːtə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of rainwater
before 1000; Middle English rein water, Old English regn-wæter; see rain, water
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.
He avoids bottled water due to microplastics and has set up an elaborate system to catch rainwater from the house roof.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Oil fires can also release sulphur and nitrogen oxides, which can form acids if they dissolve in rainwater, as well as other harmful hydrocarbons, metallic compounds and droplets of oil.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
On Earth, most sulfates dissolve easily in rainwater.
From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026
Another 30 percent were able to drink from a tap in their yards, while others depended on communal taps and rainwater tanks.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
In slow motion, right before our eyes, little rivulets of rainwater pushed aside the slime until we could see, my dad and I, how three holes had been drilled into the bottom.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
