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

Example sentences from the Web for rains

The machine, Rains said, would record scores of up to 1,000,000 points.

‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age |David Owen |November 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Rains said that the problem had came up before and that the engineers were working on it.

‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age |David Owen |November 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A lake may dry up in one region, but a new one can form when rains fill a basin elsewhere.

A Cloud Forms Over Saturn’s Mysterious Moon |Matthew R. Francis |August 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
These clouds, spotted over a methane lake, could be the first sign of summer rains on a distant world.

A Cloud Forms Over Saturn’s Mysterious Moon |Matthew R. Francis |August 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

They live in humiliating conditions—knee-deep in mud when it rains, unable to go to school or work.

Creating Consequences for South Sudan’s Political Elite |Justine Fleischner |July 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
When the rains and the floods and the winds come, the house will fall down and that will be the end of it.

The King Nobody Wanted |Norman F. Langford
The author before quoted, remarks, that towards the middle of March the rains commence heavily, and last till the end of April.

Cyprus |Franz von Lher
The boy has a cloth over his organ, to protect it when it rains.

Baby Chatterbox |Anonymous
Any excess of water from rains puddles some of the lime, destroying practically all its immediate effectiveness.

Crops and Methods for Soil Improvement |Alva Agee
Fifteen days more of Tsungling mountain-climbing southwards took him to Wuchung (Udyana), where he remained during the rains.

The Gates of India |Thomas Holdich

British Dictionary definitions for rains (1 of 2)

rains

/ (reɪnz) /

pl n

the rains the season of heavy rainfall, esp in the tropics

British Dictionary definitions for rains (2 of 2)

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 rains

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 rains

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