Idioms for rain

    rain cats and dogs, Informal. to rain very heavily or steadily: We canceled our picnic because it rained cats and dogs.

Origin of rain

before 900; (noun) Middle English rein; Old English regn, rēn, cognate with Dutch, German regen, Old Norse regn, Gothic rign; (v.) Middle English reinen, Old English regnian

OTHER WORDS FROM rain

rain·less, adjective rain·less·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rain

rain reign rein

Example sentences from the Web for rain

British Dictionary definitions for rain

rain
/ (reɪn) /

noun

verb

US and Canadian term: rained out
See also rains

Derived forms of rain

rainless, adjective

Word Origin for rain

Old English regn; related to Old Frisian rein, Old High German regan, Gothic rign

Scientific definitions for rain

rain
[ rān ]

Water that condenses from water vapor in the atmosphere and falls to Earth as separate drops from clouds. Rain forms primarily in three ways: at weather fronts, when the water vapor in the warmer mass of air cools and condenses; along mountain ranges, when a warm mass of air is forced to rise over a mountain and its water vapor cools and condenses; and by convection in hot climates, when the water vapor in suddenly rising masses of warm air cools and condenses. See also hydrologic cycle.

Idioms and Phrases with rain

rain