rain cats and dogs

rain  (rn)

n.

1.

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

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:

rain out

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

Idiom:

rain cats and dogs Informal

To rain very heavily.

---

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

---

rainless adj.

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

rain cats and dogs - rain heavily; "Put on your rain coat-- it's pouring outside!" rain buckets, pelt, stream, pour 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"