RAIN

[noun], [verb] - (to fall as) drops of water from cloudsRain is forecast for tomorrow. [U]Come inside out of the rain. [U]We had heavy/light rain all day. [U]The barbecue was ruined by a downpour of (= a lot of) rain. [U]We got caught in pouring/torrential (= a lot of) rain without either raincoats or umbrellas. [U]There will be showers of rain/rain showers (= short periods of rain) in the east. [U]Rain fell (heavily) all night. [U]It looks like rain (= as if rain is going to fall). [U]I think it's starting to rain. [I]It's raining hard (= a large amount of rain is falling). [I]The tennis match was rained (UK) off/(US) out (= was stopped because of rain). [T](UK) The organizers rained the match off (= stopped it because of rain). [M]Rain can also mean fall in a large amount.Debris from the explosion rained down the slope. [I]Streamers and balloons rained down on the party guests. [I]Bombs/Shells rained down on the city.(figurative) The children rained (down) questions on their teacher (= asked a lot of them). [T or M](figurative) Her attacker rained blows (down) on her (= hit her repeatedly). [T or M]Come rain or shine means whatever happens.Come rain or shine, I'll see you on Thursday.(US and ANZ informal) To take a rain check (on something) is to do something later.I won't have that coffee just now, but can I take a rain check on it?A rain forest is a forest in a tropical area which receives a lot of rain.Cutting down tropical rain forests is altering the earth's climate.Large areas of rain forest are being destroyed.A rain gauge is a device for measuring how much rain falls.Rain water is water than has fallen as rain, rather than water which has come from a tap.I collect rain water to water my plants.(saying) 'It never rains but it pours' means that when something bad happens it is always something very bad.