RAIN


Meaning of RAIN in English

[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.

Cambridge English vocab.      Кембриджский английский словарь.