rain
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: rān
ipa: /ɹeɪn/
rhymes: -eɪn
homophone: reign
homophone: rein
Forms: form: rains
form: rayne
form: raygne
Etymology: From Middle English reyn, rein, from Old English reġn, from Proto-West Germanic *regn, from Proto-Germanic *regną, of uncertain origin. Possibly from pre-Germanic *Hréǵ-no-, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreǵ- (“to flow”), although the consonant reflexes don't match.
Cognates
Cognate with Yola rhyne, ryne (“rain”), North Frisian Riin, rin (“rain”), Saterland Frisian Rien (“rain”), West Frisian rein (“rain”), Dutch regen (“rain”), Limburgish raenger, Rään (“rain”), German Low German Regen, Ręgen, Rägen (“rain”), Luxembourgish Reen (“rain”), German Regen (“rain”), Mòcheno reng (“rain”), Vilamovian raan (“rain”), Alemannic German regu, räge, rägä (“rain”), Bavarian Regn, rein (“rain”), Cimbrian regan, réego, reng (“rain”), Yiddish רעגן (regn, “rain”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish regn (“rain”), Crimean Gothic reghen (“rain”), Gothic 𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌽 (rign, “rain”).
Senses: examples: text: We've been having a lot of rain lately.
text: The rains came late that year.
text: This process involves cloud seeding – when various substances are put into clouds in an attempt to cause rain.
ref: 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
topics: climatology
meteorology
natural-sciences
glosses: Condensed water falling from a cloud.
glosses: Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
examples: text: A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.
glosses: An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
Derived terms: Also see terms derived from the verb
acid rain
black rain
blood rain
cold rain process
come rain or shine
come rain or snow
coronal rain
derain
driving rain
first rain
freezing rain
golden rain
golden rain tree
methane rain
oil rain lamp
plum rain
plum rains
pour with rain
rainband
rain-barrel
rain barrel
rain beetle
rainberry
rainbird
rain bomb
rainboot
rainbound
rainbow
rainburn
rainburst
rain butt
raincape
rain chamber
raincheck
rain check
rain cheque
rainclothes
raincloud
rain cloud
raincoat
rain-coat
rain collar
Raincouver
rain crow
rain dance
raindate
rain day
rain death
rain delay
rain doctor
raindrift
raindrop
rainer
rainfall
rainfast
rainfed
rainflow
rainforest
rain forest
rain frog
rainful
rain gage
rain garden
rain gauge
raingear
rain gutter
rainhat
rain hat
rainish
rainjacket
rain lamp
rain leaf
rainless
rainlight
rainlike
rain lily
rainmaker
rainmaking
rain man
rainmeter
rain moon
rain napper
rain or shine
rainout
rain owl
rainpants
rain pit
rainpour
rainprint
rainproof
rain quail
rainscald
rainscape
rainscreen
rainshade
rain shadow
rainshadow
rainshower
rain shower
rain-slickened
rainslicker
rainsoaked
rain-soaked
rainsome
rainspout
rainsquall
rain stair rods
rainstick
rain stick
rain stopped play
rainstorm
rainsuit
rainswept
raintight
raintop
rain-tree
rain tree
rain truck
rainwash
rainwashed
rainwater
rain water
rainwear
rainworm
rain-wrapped
rainy
rain year
right as rain
righter than rain
ring rain
small rain lays great dust
sulfur rain
sulphur rain
yellow rain