rain

See also: Rain, ràin, and räin

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: rān, IPA(key): /ɹeɪn/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪn
  • Homophones: reign, rein

Etymology 1

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”).

Alternative forms

Noun

rain (usually uncountable, plural rains)

  2. (meteorology) Condensed water falling from a cloud.
    We've been having a lot of rain lately.
    The rains came late that year.
    • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
      This process involves cloud seeding – when various substances are put into clouds in an attempt to cause rain.
  3. (figuratively) Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
  4. (figuratively) An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
    A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.
Usage notes
Synonyms
Derived terms

Descendants
  • Sranan Tongo: alen
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2

From Middle English reinen, from Old English reġnian, from Proto-West Germanic *regnōn, from Proto-Germanic *regnōną, from *regną (“rain”), as above.

Cognates

Cognate with Cimbrian règhenan, rengen (“to rain”), Dutch regenen (“to rain”), German regnen (“to rain”), Limburgish raengere, rääne (“to rain”), Low German regen (“to rain”), Luxembourgish reenen (“to rain”), Yiddish רעגענען (regenen, “to rain”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål regne (“to rain”), Faroese, Swedish regna (“to rain”), Icelandic rigna (“to rain”), Norwegian Nynorsk regna, regne (“to rain”).

Verb

rain (third-person singular simple present rains, present participle raining, simple past and past participle rained)

  1. (impersonal, meteorology) To have rain fall from the sky.
    Judging by the black cloud, it will rain later today.
  2. (intransitive, figuratively) To fall as or like rain.
    Tears rained from her eyes.
    Leaves rained from the tree.
    Bombs rained from the sky.
  3. (transitive, figuratively) To issue (something) in large quantities.
    The boxer rained punches on his opponent's head.
Conjugation
Conjugation of rain
infinitive (to) rain
present tense past tense
1st-person singular rain rained
2nd-person singular rain, rainest† rained, rainedst†
3rd-person singular rains, raineth† rained
plural rain
subjunctive rain rained
imperative rain —
participles raining rained

† Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

Etymology 3

Verb

rain (third-person singular simple present rains, present participle raining, simple past and past participle rained)

  1. Obsolete form of reign.

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Middle French rain, from Old Dutch *rein, *rēn, from Proto-West Germanic *rain (“raised land, baulk, ridge”), from Proto-Germanic *rainaz, *rainō (“baulk, ridge”). Cognate with Dutch reen, rein, German Rain, English rean.

Pronunciation

Noun

rain m (plural rains)

  1. (geography) a raised border on a field or forest that serves as a boundary

References

Japanese

Romanization

rain

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ライン

Kavalan

Noun

rain

  1. waves in the open sea

Middle English

Noun

rain

  1. alternative form of reyn (“rain”)

Sera

Noun

rain

  1. water

References

  • Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics (2010, →ISBN, page 333
  • Stephen Adolphe Wurm, New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study (1976)

Sissano

Noun

rain

  1. water

References

  • Stephen Adolphe Wurm, New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study (1976)
  • John Nystrom, Sissano Organised Phonology Data (1992) (as rayn several times in a story; compare ranrayn "wet")

Tetum

Etymology

From the Tetum noun rai.

Noun

rain

  1. country
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