Adjacent Words

Rain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RAIN, v.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, v.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. Exodus 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. Psalms 11.
RAIN, n. 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.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere [syn: rain, rainfall]
2: drops of fresh water that fall as precipitation from clouds [syn: rain, rainwater]
3: anything happening rapidly or in quick successive; "a rain of bullets"; "a pelting of insults" [syn: rain, pelting] v
1: precipitate as rain; "If it rains much more, we can expect some flooding" [syn: rain, rain down]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English reyn, from Old English regn, r?n; akin to Old High German regan rain Date: before 12th century 1. a. water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere b. the descent of this water c. water that has fallen as rain ; rainwater 2. a. a fall of rain ; rainstorm b. plural the rainy season 3. rainy weather 4. a heavy fall <a rain of arrows> II. verb Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to send down rain 2. to fall as water in drops from the clouds 3. to fall like rain <soot and ash rained down> transitive verb 1. to pour down 2. to give or administer abundantly <rained blows on his head>

NOAA Weather Glossary

Liquid water droplets that fall from the atmosphere, having diameters greaterthan drizzle (0.5 mm).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops. b the fall of such drops. 2 (in pl.) a rainfalls. b (prec. by the) the rainy season in tropical countries. 3 a falling liquid or solid particles or objects. b the rainlike descent of these. c a large or overwhelming quantity (a rain of congratulations). --v. 1 intr. (prec. by it as subject) rain falls (it is raining; if it rains). 2 a intr. fall in showers or like rain (tears rained down their cheeks; blows rain upon him). b tr. (prec. by it as subject) send in large quantities (it rained blood; it is raining invitations). 3 tr. send down like rain; lavishly bestow (rained benefits on us; rained blows upon him). 4 intr. (of the sky, the clouds, etc.) send down rain. Phrases and idioms: rain cats and dogs see CAT. rain check US 1 a ticket given for later use when a sporting fixture or other outdoor event is interrupted or postponed by rain. 2 a promise that an offer will be maintained though deferred. rain-cloud a cloud bringing rain. rain forest luxuriant tropical forest with heavy rainfall. rain-gauge an instrument measuring rainfall. rain-making the action of attempting to increase rainfall by artificial means. rain off (or US out) (esp. in passive) cause (an event etc.) to be terminated or cancelled because of rain. rain or shine whether it rains or not. rain-shadow a region shielded from rain by mountains etc. rain-wash 1 loose material carried away by rain. 2 the movement of this. rain-worm the common earthworm. Derivatives: rainless adj. raintight adj. Etymology: OE regn, ren, regnian f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rain Rain, n. & v. Reign. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rain Rain, n. [OF. 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. ? 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. Note: 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 (Zo["o]l.), 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 (Zo["o]l.), the channel-bill cuckoo (Scythrops Nov[ae]-Hollandi[ae]) of Australia. Rain gauge, an instrument of various forms measuring the quantity of rain that falls at any given place in a given time; a pluviometer; an ombrometer. Rain goose (Zo["o]l.), 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. (Zo["o]l.) See Quail, n., 1. Rain water, water that has fallen from the clouds in rain.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rain Rain, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rained; p. pr. & vb. n. Raining.] [AS. regnian, akin to G. regnen, Goth. rignjan. See Rain, n.] 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. --Shak. 2. To fall or drop like water from the clouds; as, tears rained from their eyes.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rain Rain, v. 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(rains, raining, rained) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Rain is water that falls from the clouds in small drops. I hope you didn't get soaked standing out in the rain... N-UNCOUNT: also the N 2. In countries where rain only falls in certain seasons, this rain is referred to as the rains. ...the spring, when the rains came... N-PLURAL: usu the N 3. When rain falls, you can say that it is raining. It was raining hard, and she hadn't an umbrella. VERB: it V 4. If someone rains blows, kicks, or bombs on a person or place, the person or place is attacked by many blows, kicks, or bombs. You can also say that blows, kicks, or bombs rain on a person or place. The police, raining blows on rioters and spectators alike, cleared the park... Rockets, mortars and artillery rounds rained on buildings. VERB: V n on n, V on n • Rain down means the same as rain. Fighter aircraft rained down high explosives... Grenades and mortars rained down on Dubrovnik. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P on n 5. If you say that someone does something rain or shine, you mean that they do it regularly, without being affected by the weather or other circumstances. Frances took her daughter walking every day, rain or shine. PHRASE

Easton's Bible Dictionary

There are three Hebrew words used to denote the rains of different seasons, (1.) Yoreh (Hos. 6:3), or moreh (Joel 2:23), denoting the former or the early rain. (2.) Melqosh, the "latter rain" (Prov. 16:15). (3.) Geshem, the winter rain, "the rains." The heavy winter rain is mentioned in Gen. 7:12; Ezra 10:9; Cant. 2:11. The "early" or "former" rains commence in autumn in the latter part of October or beginning of November (Deut. 11:14; Joel 2:23; comp. Jer. 3:3), and continue to fall heavily for two months. Then the heavy "winter rains" fall from the middle of December to March. There is no prolonged fair weather in Palestine between October and March. The "latter" or spring rains fall in March and April, and serve to swell the grain then coming to maturity (Deut. 11:14; Hos. 6:3). After this there is ordinarily no rain, the sky being bright and cloudless till October or November.

Rain is referred to symbolically in Deut. 32:2; Ps. 72:6; Isa. 44:3, 4; Hos. 10:12.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ran (maTar, Arabic (?), maTar, "rain" geshem, "heavy rain" moreh, "early rain," yoreh, "former rain," malqosh, "latter rain"; brecho, huetos):

1. Water-Supply in Egypt and Palestine:

In Egypt there is little or no rainfall, the water for vegetation being supplied in great abundance by the river Nile; but in Syria and Palestine there are no large rivers, and the people have to depend entirely on the fall of rain for water for themselves, their animals and their fields. The children of Israel when in Egypt were promised by Yahweh a land which "drinketh water of the rain of heaven" (De 11:11). Springs and fountains are found in most of the valleys, but the flow of the springs depends directly on the fall of rain or snow in the mountains.

2. Importance of Rain in Season:

The cultivation of the land in Palestine is practically dry farming in most of the districts, but even then some water is necessary, so that there may be moisture in the soil. In the summer months there is no rain, so that the rains of the spring and fall seasons are absolutely essential for starting and maturing the crops. The lack of this rain in the proper time has often been the cause of complete failure of the harvest. A small difference in the amount of these seasonal rains makes a large difference in the possibility of growing various crops without irrigation. Ellsworth Huntington has insisted on this point with great care in his very important work, Palestine and Its Transformation. The promise of prosperity is given in the assurance of "rain in due season" (Le 26:4 the King James Version). The withholding of rain according to the prophecy of Elijah (1Ki 17:1) caused the mountain streams to dry up (1Ki 17:7), and certain famine ensued. A glimpse of the terrible suffering for lack of water at that time is given us. The people were uncertain of another meal (1Ki 17:12), and the animals were perishing (1Ki 18:5).

3. Amount of Rainfall:

Palestine and Syria are on the borderland between the sea and the desert, and besides are so mountainous, that they not only have a great range of rainfall in different years, but a great variation in different parts of the country.

The amount of rain on the western slopes is comparable with that in England and America, varying from 25 to 40 inches per annum, but it falls mostly in the four winter months, when the downpour is often very heavy, giving oftentimes from 12 to 16 inches in a month. On the eastern slopes it is much less, varying from 8 to 20 inches per annum. The highest amount falls in the mountains of Lebanon where it averages about 50 inches. In Beirut the yearly average is 35,87 inches. As we go South from Syria, the amount decreases (Haifa 27,75, Jaffa 22,39, Gaze 17,61), while in the Sinaitic Peninsula there is little or none. Going from West to East the change is much more sudden, owing to the mountains which stop the clouds. In Damascus the average is less than 10 inches. In Jerusalem the average for 50 years is 26,16 in., and the range is from 13,19 in 1870 to 41,62 in 1897. The yearly records as given by J. Glaisher and A. Datzi in Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly from 1861 to 1910, 50 years, are given in the accompanying table.

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