rain

Meanings

Noun

• Condensed water falling from a cloud.
• Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
• An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.

Verb

• To have rain fall from the sky.
• To fall as or like rain.
• To issue (something) in large quantities.

Origin

• From Middle English reyn, rein, from Old English reġn, from Proto-West Germanic *regn, from Proto-Germanic *regną (compare West Frisian rein, Dutch regen, German Regen, Danish and Norwegian regn), of uncertain origin. Possibly from pre-Germanic *Hréǵ-no-, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreǵ- ("to flow") (compare Latin rigō ("wet, soak"), Lithuanian rõki ("drizzling rain"), Albanian rrjedh ("to flow, drip")), although the consonant reflexes don't match.