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rainless

 - 4 dictionary results

rain

  [reyn]
Use rainless in a Sentence
–noun
1. water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 1/50 in. (0.5 mm) in diameter. Compare drizzle (def. 6).
2. a rainfall, rainstorm, or shower: We had a light rain this afternoon.
3. rains, the rainy season; seasonal rainfall, as in India.
4. weather marked by steady or frequent rainfall: We had rain most of last summer.
5. a heavy and continuous descent or inflicting of anything: a rain of blows; a rain of vituperation.
–verb (used without object)
6. (of rain) to fall (usually used impersonally with it as subject): It rained all night.
7. to fall like rain: Tears rained from their eyes.
8. to send down rain: The lightning flashed and the sky rained on us in torrents.
–verb (used with object)
9. to send down in great quantities, as small pieces or objects: People on rooftops rained confetti on the parade.
10. to offer, bestow, or give in great quantity: to rain favors upon a person.
11. to deal, hurl, fire, etc., repeatedly: to rain blows on someone's head.
—Verb phrase
12. rain out, to cause, by raining, the cancellation or postponement of a sports event, performance, or the like: The double-header was rained out yesterday.
—Idiom
13. rain cats and dogs, Informal. to rain very heavily or steadily: We canceled our picnic because it rained cats and dogs.
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME rein; OE regn, rēn, c. D, G regen, ON regn, Goth rign; (v.) ME reinen, OE regnian

Related forms:
rainless, adjective
rain⋅less⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
10. lavish, shower, pour.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To rainless
rain   (rān)   
n.  

    1. Water condensed from atmospheric vapor and falling in drops.

    2. A fall of such water; a rainstorm.

    3. The descent of such water.

    4. Rainy weather.

    5. rains A rainy season.

  2. A heavy or abundant fall: a rain of fluffy cottonwood seeds; a rain of insults.

v.   rained, rain·ing, rains

v.   intr.

  1. To fall in drops of water from the clouds.

  2. To fall like rain: Praise rained down on the composer.

  3. To release rain.

v.   tr.

  1. To send or pour down.

  2. To give abundantly; shower: rain gifts; rain curses upon their heads.

Phrasal Verb(s):
rain outTo force the cancellation or postponement of (an outdoor event) because of rain. Used in passive constructions: The ball game was rained out.

Idiom(s):
rain cats and dogs Informal To rain very heavily.

[Middle English, from Old English regn, rēn.]
rain'less adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

rain 
O.E. regn, from P.Gmc. *regna- (cf. O.S. regan, O.N. regn, O.Fris. rein, M.Du. reghen, Ger. regen, Goth. rign "rain"), with no certain cognates outside Gmc., unless it is from a presumed PIE *reg- "moist, wet," which may be the source of L. rigare "to wet, moisten" (cf. irrigate). The verb is O.E. regnian, usually contracted to rinan. Transf. and fig. use of other things that fall as rain (blessings, tears, etc.) is recorded from c.1200. Rainbow is O.E. renboga (common Gmc. compound, cf. O.N. regnbogi, Du. regenboog, see bow (n.)). Raindrop is O.E. rendropa; first record of raincheck is from 1884, originally of tickets to rained-out baseball games. Raincoat attested from 1830. Rainmaker first recorded 1775, in ref. to tribal magicians. Phrase to rain cats and dogs is attested from 1738 (variation rain dogs and polecats is from 1652), of unknown origin, despite intense speculation. One of the more idiotic assertions is that it refers to pets sliding off sod roofs when the sod got too wet during a rainstorm. Ever see a cat react to a rainstorm by climbing up on an exposed roof? To rain on (someone's) parade is attested from 1941.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
rain   (rān)  Pronunciation Key 
Water that condenses from water vapor in the atmosphere and falls to Earth as separate drops from clouds. Rain forms primarily in three ways: at weather fronts, when the water vapor in the warmer mass of air cools and condenses; along mountain ranges, when a warm mass of air is forced to rise over a mountain and its water vapor cools and condenses; and by convection in hot climates, when the water vapor in suddenly rising masses of warm air cools and condenses. See also hydrologic cycle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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