Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Rain

Rain

(rān)
,
Noun.
&
Verb.
Reign.
[Obs.]
Spenser.

Rain

(rān)
,
Noun.
[OE.
rein
, AS.
regen
; akin to OFries.
rein
, D. & G.
regen
, OS. & OHG.
regan
, Icel., Dan., & Sw.
regn
, Goth.
rign
, and prob. to L.
rigare
to water, to wet; cf. Gr.
βρέχειν
to wet, to rain.]
Water falling in drops from the clouds; the descent of water from the clouds in drops.
Rain
is water by the heat of the sun divided into very small parts ascending in the air, till, encountering the cold, it be condensed into clouds, and descends in drops.
Ray.
Fair days have oft contracted wind and
rain
.
Milton.
☞ Rain is distinguished from mist by the size of the drops, which are distinctly visible. When water falls in very small drops or particles, it is called mist; and fog is composed of particles so fine as to be not only individually indistinguishable, but to float or be suspended in the air. See
Fog
, and
Mist
.
Rain band
(Meteorol.)
,
a dark band in the yellow portion of the solar spectrum near the sodium line, caused by the presence of watery vapor in the atmosphere, and hence sometimes used in weather predictions.
–
Rain bird
(Zool.)
,
the yaffle, or green woodpecker.
[Prov. Eng.]
The name is also applied to various other birds, as to
Saurothera vetula
of the West Indies.
–
Rain fowl
(Zool.)
,
the channel-bill cuckoo (
Scythrops Novae-Hollandiae
) of Australia.
–
Rain gauge
,
an instrument of various forms for measuring the quantity of rain that falls at any given place in a given time; a pluviometer; an ombrometer.
–
Rain goose
(Zool.)
,
the red-throated diver, or loon.
[Prov. Eng.]
–
Rain prints
(Geol.)
,
markings on the surfaces of stratified rocks, presenting an appearance similar to those made by rain on mud and sand, and believed to have been so produced.
–
Rain quail
.
(Zool.)
See
Quail
,
Noun.
, 1.
–
Rain water
,
water that has fallen from the clouds in rain.

Rain

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rained
(rānd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Raining
.]
[AS.
regnian
, akin to G.
regnen
, Goth.
rignjan
. See
Rain
,
Noun.
]
1.
To fall in drops from the clouds, as water; – used mostly with it for a nominative;
as, it
rains
.
The rain it
raineth
every day.
Shakespeare
2.
To fall or drop like water from the clouds;
as, tears
rained
from their eyes
.

Rain

(rān)
,
Verb.
T.
1.
To pour or shower down from above, like rain from the clouds.
Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will
rain
bread from heaven for you.
Ex. xvi. 4.
2.
To bestow in a profuse or abundant manner;
as, to
rain
favors upon a person
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Rain

RAIN

,
Verb.
I.
[It seems that rain is contracted from regen. It is the Gr. to rain, to water, which we retain in brook, and the Latins, by dropping the prefix, in rigo, irrigo, to irrigate. The primary sense is to pour out, to drive forth. Heb.]
1.
To fall in drops from the clouds, as water; used mostly with it for a nominative; as, it rains; it will rain; it rained, or it has rained.
2.
To fall or drop like rain; as, tears rained at their eyes.

RAIN

,
Verb.
T.
To pour or shower down from the upper regions, like rain from the clouds.
Then said the Lord to Moses, behold I will rain bread from heaven for you. Ex. 14.
God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating. Job. 20.
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and horrible tempest. Ps. 11.

RAIN

,
Noun.
The descent of water in drops from the clouds; or the water thus falling. Rain is distinguished from mist, by the size of the drops, which are distinctly visible. When water falls in very small drops or particles, we call it mist, and fog is composed of particles so fine as to be not only indistinguishable, but to float or be suspended in the air.

Definition 2024

Rain

Rain

See also: rain, ràin, and räin

Estonian

Proper noun

Rain

  1. A male given name.

Related terms

German

Etymology

From Middle High German rein.

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Noun

Rain m ‎(genitive Rains, plural Raine)

  1. (Switzerland) (small) slope, incline

Romansch

Alternative forms

  • (Sursilvan) Rein
  • (Sutsilvan, Surmiran) Ragn

Proper noun

Rain m

  1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) the Rhine

rain

rain

See also: Rain, ràin, and räin

English

Rain falling

Noun

rain ‎(usually uncountable, plural rains)

  1. Condensed water falling from a cloud.
    We've been having a lot of rain lately.
    The rains came late that year.
  2. (figuratively) Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
  3. (figuratively) An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
    A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.

Alternative forms

Usage notes

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:hydrometeor

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

rain ‎(third-person singular simple present rains, present participle raining, simple past and past participle rained)

  1. (impersonal) To have rain fall from the sky.
    It will rain today.
  2. To fall as or like rain.
    • Shakespeare
      The rain it raineth every day.
    Tears rained from her eyes.
  3. (intransitive) To fall like rain.
    Bombs rained from the sky.
  4. (transitive) To issue (something) in large quantities.
    The boxer rained punches on his opponent's head.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Japanese

Romanization

rain

  1. rōmaji reading of ライン

Sera

Noun

rain

  1. water

References

  • Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics (2010, ISBN 0195365542), page 333
  • Stephen Adolphe Wurm, New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study (1976)

Sissano

Noun

rain

  1. water

References

  • Stephen Adolphe Wurm, New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study (1976)

Etymology

Short form of Rainer and other Germanic compound given names with the first element meaning "counsel".

Similar Results