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yellow rain

American  

noun

  1. small, powdery yellow deposits containing the fungal toxin tricothecene, found on leaves and other surfaces in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan in the early 1980s and alleged by some to be a chemical weapon disseminated by air but claimed by others to be pollen-containing bee excrement contaminated by fungus.


yellow rain British  

noun

  1. a type of yellow precipitation described in parts of SE Asia and alleged by some to be evidence of chemical warfare using mycotoxins

"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

Etymology

Origin of yellow rain

First recorded in 1975–80


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.

See Examples For:

So, when Sepulveda Boulevard becomes the Sepulveda River in a few months, and the TV news reporters pull on those yellow rain slickers for “Stormwatch ‘26,” remember that L.A. has starred in this movie before.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

A yellow rain warning is in place from 12:00 GMT on Monday to 09:00 on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

A yellow rain and wind warning remains in place across Northern Ireland until midnight.

From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026

A yellow rain warning for parts of Scotland continued until 18:00 BST.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2024

She wore her same high-heeled sandals and blue jeans, and a yellow rain jacket.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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