rain Hear it!

Jump To: synonymsSynonyms · examplesUsage Examples · quotesQuotes · linkLink/Cite
Also found in: idiomsAH Idiom Dictionary
rain definition

rain (rān)

noun

  1. water falling to earth in drops larger than 0.5 mm (0.02 in) that have been condensed from the moisture in the atmosphere
  2. the falling of such drops; shower or rainstorm
    1. rainy weather
    2. seasonal rainfalls; the rainy season: preceded by the
  4. a rapid falling or propulsion of many small particles or objects a rain of ashes

Etymology: ME rein < OE regn, akin to Ger regen < IE base *re-, var. of *reĝ-, moist, wet > L rigare, to wet, moisten: see irrigate

intransitive verb

  1. to fall: said of rain, and usually in an impersonal construction it is raining
  2. to fall like rain bullets rained about him
  3. to cause rain to fall: said of the heavens, clouds, etc.

transitive verb

  1. to pour down (rain or something likened to rain)
  2. to give in large quantities to rain praises on someone

Related Forms:

rain Idioms

rain cats and dogs

Informal to rain heavily

rain out

☆
to cause (an event) to be postponed or canceled because of rain

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms rain idiom

rain Synonyms

rain

n.

  1. Water falling in drops

    drizzle, mist, sprinkle, sprinkling, rainfall, shower, precipitation, wet weather, downpour, torrent, pouring rain, driving rain, damp day, spring rain, cat-and-dog weather*, liquid sunshine*, mizzle*, Scotch mist*.

  2. A rainstorm

    thunderstorm, thundershower, tempest, cloudburst; see storm 1.


rain

v.

pour, drizzle, drop, fall, shower, sprinkle, precipitate, mist, mizzle*, come down*, teem*, spit*, set in*, lay the dust, patter*, rain cats and dogs*, come down in buckets*, rain pitchforks*; see also storm.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rain Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • pour: A dip in a river or a walk in the pouring rain will do wonders for a Gordon coat.

Preposition: at

  • GMT: The afternoon was mainly sunny to but there was a shower of rain at 1830 GMT.

Adjective modifier

  • torrential: On the evening of Sunday 2nd July, heavy thunderstorms brought torrential rain to this area of the Pennines.

Modifies a noun

  • forest: Half of all invertebrate species live in tropical rain forests, less than 7 % of the world's surface.

Noun used with modifier

  • monsoon: During the period June to September there is a light monsoon rain in Salalah.

Preposition: until

  • GMT: The day remained overcast, and sunless, with drizzle from noon turning to light rain until 17 GMT.

Preposition: from

  • GMT: After a lull there was further moderate to heavy rain from 03 GMT.
rain usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

rain quotes

New York is a jungle, they tell you.You could go further, and say that New York is a jungle. New York is a jungle. Beneath the columns of the old rain forest, made of melting macadam, the mean Limpopo of swamped Ninth Avenue bears an angry argosy of crocs and dragons, tiger fish, noise machines, sweating rainmakers.

-Amis, Martin Louis

Westron winde, when wilt thou blow, The smalle raine downe can raine? Christ if my love were in my armes, And I in my bed againe.

-Anonymous

So have I heard the cuckoo's parting cry, From the wet field, through the vext garden trees, Come with the volleying rain and tossing breeze: 'The bloom isgone, and with the bloom go I.'

-Arnold, Matthew

rain quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"rain." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/rain>

APA Style

rain. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/rain

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment