rain cats and dogs



a. Water condensed from atmospheric vapor and falling in drops.
b. A fall of such water; a rainstorm.
c. The descent of such water.
d. Rainy weather.
e. 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
1. To fall in drops of water from the clouds.
3. To release rain.
1. To send or pour down.
2. To give abundantly; shower: rain gifts; rain curses upon their heads.
Phrasal Verb:
rain out
rain cats and dogs Informal
To rain very heavily.

[Middle English, from Old English regn, rēn.]

rain′less adj.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.rain cats and dogs - rain heavily; "Put on your rain coat-- it's pouring outside!"
rain, rain down - precipitate as rain; "If it rains much more, we can expect some flooding"
sheet - come down as if in sheets; "The rain was sheeting down during the monsoon"
sluice, sluice down - pour as if from a sluice; "An aggressive tide sluiced across the barrier reef"
تَهْطُل الأمطار بِغَزارَه
lít jako z konve
Bindfäden regnenin Strömen regnenin Strömen gießenaus allen Kannen gießenaus allen Kannen schütten
sataa äkäisiä ämmiä äkeet selässäsataa kaatamallasataa kuin saavista kaataen
pleuvoir comme vache qui pissepleuvoir des cordespleuvoir des hallebardestomber comme à Gravelottedracher
esik, mintha dézsából öntenékúgy esik, mintha dézsából öntenék
leje jak z cebra
cair um toróchover a cântaroschover a poteschover torrencialmente
a ploua cu găleata
ösregnaspöregnastå som spön i backen
bardaktan boşanırcasına yağmak


(rein) noun
1. water falling from the clouds in liquid drops. We've had a lot of rain today; walking in the rain; We had flooding because of last week's heavy rains.
2. a great number of things falling like rain. a rain of arrows.
1. (only with it as subject) to cause rain to fall. I think it will rain today.
2. to (cause to) fall like rain. Arrows rained down on the soldiers.
ˈrainy adjective
having (many) showers of rain. a rainy day; the rainy season; rainy weather.
ˈraininess noun
ˈrainbow noun
the coloured arch sometimes seen in the sky opposite the sun when rain is falling.
ˈrain check: take a rain check
(American) (to ask) to do something at a later time. Thanks for inviting me to dinner, but can I take a rain check on it?
ˈraincoat noun
a waterproof coat worn to keep out the rain.
ˈraindrop noun
a single drop of rain.
ˈrainfall noun
the amount of rain that falls in a certain place in a certain time. We haven't had much rainfall this year; the annual rainfall.
ˈrain forest noun
a thick tropical forest in a region where it rains a lot.
ˈrain-gauge noun
an instrument for measuring rainfall.
keep/save etc for a rainy day
to keep (especially money) until one needs it or in case one may need it.
rain cats and dogs
to rain very hard.
the rains
(in tropical countries) the rainy season.
(as) right as rain
perfectly all right; completely well.
References in periodicals archive ?
I'm still waiting for it to rain cats and dogs, though.