Wiktionary

rainwater

See also: rain water

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English reinwater, from Old English reġnwæter, equivalent to rain +‎ water. Cognate with West Frisian reinwetter, Dutch regenwater, German Regenwasser, Swedish regnvatten.

Noun

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rainwater (usually uncountable, plural rainwaters)

  1. Rainfall.
    • 2011 January 12, Joel Kirkland, “Australia's Record Rains Squeeze World Coal Supplies as Scientists Study Climate Pattern”, in The New York Times‎[1]:
      In early December, as rainwaters had started the monthlong process of flooding mines and washing out rail lines, workers lined up before 1 p.m. at an easy-to-miss storefront depot in Mackay.
  2. Water (for a house, etc.) sourced from rain which has not joined a spring, stream or river, pond, lake or sea.
    • 1987 January 18, Paula Deitz, “ISLAND LIVING, ENGLISH STYLE”, in The New York Times‎[2]:
      Constructed of hard flint stone, which came as ballast from England and is now painted coral white, the house has a fishpond, or catchment, roof, dating from 1788, to collect rainwater.

Derived terms

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Translations

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