RAIN


Meaning of RAIN in English

I. ˈrān noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English reyn, from Old English regn, rēn; akin to Old High German regan rain, Old Norse regn, Gothic rign, and perhaps to Old Norse raki dampness, Latin rigare to water

1.

a. : water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere — compare drizzle , mist

b. : the descent of water in drops especially from the clouds

c. : water that has fallen as rain : rainwater

the rain on the door log had turned to ice — Conrad Richter

2.

a. : a fall of rain especially heavier or of longer duration than a shower : rainstorm

the roads … can be used in summer only and then if there are no unusual rains — W.E.Rudolph

spring rains

b. rains plural : the rainy season (as in India)

3. : rainy weather

a week of rain

4.

a. : a falling or driving of numerous particles or bodies

a rain of petals

a rain of soot

warships maintained a steady rain of fire — H.L.Merillat

also : multitudinous onset

a rain of protests

a rain of abuse

b. : falling or driven particles

an average pollen rain for a locality — S.A.Cain

5. : a scratch or marking running lengthwise of a motion picture film that on projection appears as a vertical streak

6. rains plural : regions of calms and heavy rainfalls

the rains of the north Atlantic

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English reynen, from Old English regnian; akin to Old High German reganōn to rain, Old Norse regna, Gothic rignjan; all from a prehistoric Germanic verb derived from the ancestor of Old English regn rain

intransitive verb

1. : to fall as water in drops from the clouds

care must be taken that such materials are dry and not rained on — Bulletin of American Institute of Architects

— often used with it

it may rain

it is raining in at the window

2. : to send down rain

caused the clouds to rain — Norman Douglas

3.

a. : to fall or drop like rain

bombs, grapeshot, and cannonballs rained upon the defenseless town — American Guide Series: Maine

b. : to occur in a multitudinous onset

conflicting thoughts rain thick and fast — Saturday Review

4. : to be in a form or arrangement suggestive of falling rain

gray hair raining down over his eyebrows — Anna Ortese

trunks whose lower boughs were out of sight among the raining aerial roots as fine as hairs — D.C.Peattie

transitive verb

1. : to pour from or as if from the clouds : shower down

behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you — Exod 16:4 (Revised Standard Version)

petals are rained down upon them from windows and balconies — John Kobler

2. : to bestow profusely or abundantly : yield or shed copiously

more blows were rained on him — T.B.Costain

rain favors

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.