rain
Condensed water falling from a cloud.
Noun
- Condensed water falling from a cloud.
- We've been having a lot of rain lately.
- The rains came late that year.
- This process involves cloud seeding – when various substances are put into clouds in an attempt to cause rain. - 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
- Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
- An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
- A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.
Origin
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *Hréǵʰ-der. Proto-Indo-European *Hréǵʰnos? Proto-Germanic *regną Proto-West Germanic *regn Old English reġn Middle English reyn English rain Inherited from Middle English reyn, rein, from Old English reġn, from Proto-West Germanic *regn, from Proto-Germanic *regną, of uncertain origin. Possibly from pre-Germanic *Hréǵ-no-, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreǵ- (“to flow”), although the consonant reflexes don't match. Cognates Cognate with Yola rhyne, ryne (“rain”), North Frisian Riin, rin (“rain”), Saterland Frisian Rien (“rain”), West Frisian rein (“rain”), Dutch regen (“rain”), Limburgish raenger, Rään (“rain”), German Low German Regen, Ręgen, Rägen (“rain”), Luxembourgish Reen (“rain”), German Regen (“rain”), Mòcheno reng (“rain”), Vilamovian raan (“rain”), Alemannic German regu, räge, rägä (“rain”), Bavarian Regn, rein (“rain”), Cimbrian regan, réego,...
Forms
Derived
Also see terms derived from the verb acid rain black rain blood rain cold rain process come rain or shine come rain or snow coronal rain derain driving rain first rain freezing rain golden rain golden rain tree methane rain oil rain lamp plum rain plum rains pour with rain rainband rain-barrel rain barrel rain beetle rainberry
Verb climatology, meteorology
- To have rain fall from the sky.
- Judging by the black cloud, it will rain later today.
- To fall as or like rain.
- Tears rained from her eyes.
- Leaves rained from the tree.
- Bombs rained from the sky.
- To issue (something) in large quantities.
- The boxer rained punches on his opponent's head.
Origin
From Middle English reinen, from Old English reġnian, from Proto-West Germanic *regnōn, from Proto-Germanic *regnōną, from *regną (“rain”), as above. Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian règhenan, rengen (“to rain”), Dutch regenen (“to rain”), German regnen (“to rain”), Limburgish raengere, rääne (“to rain”), Low German regen (“to rain”), Luxembourgish reenen (“to rain”), Yiddish רעגענען (regenen, “to rain”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål regne (“to rain”), Faroese, Swedish regna (“to rain”), Icelandic rigna (“to rain”), Norwegian Nynorsk regna, regne (“to rain”).
Forms
rains raining rained no-table-tags glossary rain rainest rainedst raineth -
Related
drizzle hail mizzle precipitation serein shower sleet snow storm
Derived
Also see terms derived from the noun berain don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining don't pee in the wind and tell me it's raining don't piss in the wind and tell me it's raining is it going to rain it never rains but it pours it's raining make it rain piss on someone's leg and tell them it's raining rain buckets rain cats and dogs rain dogs and cats rain death rain death upon rain down rain fire and brimstone rain like cats and dogs rain off rain on one's parade rain on someone's parade rain out rain pitchforks
Verb alt of, obsolete
- Obsolete form of reign.
- Such wondrous science in mans witt to rain. - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC: