rain

[ reyn ]

/ reɪn /

noun

water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 1/50 inch (0.5 mm) in diameter. Compare drizzle(def 6).

a rainfall, rainstorm, or shower: We had a light rain this afternoon.

rains, the rainy season; seasonal rainfall, as in India.

weather marked by steady or frequent rainfall: We had rain most of last summer.

a heavy and continuous descent or inflicting of anything: a rain of blows; a rain of vituperation.

verb (used without object)

(of rain) to fall (usually used impersonally with it as subject): It rained all night.

to fall like rain: Tears rained from their eyes.

to send down rain: The lightning flashed and the sky rained on us in torrents.

verb (used with object)

to send down in great quantities, as small pieces or objects: People on rooftops rained confetti on the parade.

to offer, bestow, or give in great quantity: to rain favors upon a person.

to deal, hurl, fire, etc., repeatedly: to rain blows on someone's head.

Verb Phrases

rain out, to cause, by raining, the cancellation or postponement of a sports event, performance, or the like: The double-header was rained out yesterday.

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

SYNONYMS FOR rain

10 lavish, shower, pour.

OTHER WORDS FROM rain

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rain

rain reign rein

Words nearby rain

railroading, railway, railwayman, raiment, raimondi, rain, rain cats and dogs, rain check, rain cloud, rain dance, rain date

British Dictionary definitions for rain cats and dogs

rain

/ (reɪn) /

noun

precipitation from clouds in the form of drops of water, formed by the condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere
a fall of rain; shower
(in combination)a raindrop Related adjectives: hyetal, pluvious

a large quantity of anything falling rapidly or in quick succession a rain of abuse

rain or shine or come rain or shine

regardless of the weather
regardless of circumstances

right as rain British informal perfectly all right; perfectly fit

verb

(intr ; with it as subject) to be the case that rain is falling

(often with it as subject) to fall or cause to fall like rain the lid flew off and popcorn rained on everyone

(tr) to bestow in large measure to rain abuse on someone

rain cats and dogs informal to rain heavily; pour

rained off cancelled or postponed on account of rain

US and Canadian term: rained out

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 cats and dogs

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 cats and dogs (1 of 2)

rain cats and dogs

Also, rain buckets. Rain very heavily, as in It was raining cats and dogs so I couldn't walk to the store, or It's been raining buckets all day. The precise allusion in the first term, which dates from the mid-1600s, has been lost, but it probably refers to gutters overflowing with debris that included sewage, garbage, and dead animals. Richard Brome used a version of this idiom in his play The City Wit (c. 1652), where a character pretending a knowledge of Latin translates wholly by ear, “Regna bitque/and it shall rain, Dogmata Polla Sophon/dogs and polecats and so forth.” The variant presumably alludes to rain heavy enough to fill pails.

Idioms and Phrases with rain cats and dogs (2 of 2)

rain

In addition to the idioms beginning with rain

rain cats and dogs
rain check
rain on one's parade
rain or shine
rain out
rainy day, a

also see:

come in out of the rain
it never rains but it pours
right as rain

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

rain