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
Almost two miles east, a block of businesses in the Fairfax District, along Melrose Avenue near Martel Avenue, reported rainwater rising from the flooded sidewalk and seeping into their storefronts.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
As of December, its dams were only around 30 percent full on average, and farmers have largely relied on rainwater for irrigation.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
These included data from Arctic ice-cores and rainwater samples collected around the world.
From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 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.
