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