rain-water

The gardener collects rain-water in a large barrel.

Definition

Noun (uncountable): water that has fallen from the sky as rain, especially when collected for use. - Rain-water refers to precipitation in the form of water droplets that has not yet been absorbed into the ground or mixed with other sources.

Usage Examples

• (Water from rainfall saved for practical purposes.)
• (A method of gathering and storing precipitation.)
• (Water directly from rainfall, not purified.)

Advanced Usage

• "Rain-water harvesting": the process of collecting and storing rain-water for later use.

  • Rain-water harvesting is a sustainable practice in arid regions. (Collecting rainfall for conservation.)

• "Rain-water tank": a container designed to store rain-water.

  • They installed a large rain-water tank behind the house. (A storage unit for collected rainfall.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rainwater (noun, alternative spelling): same as "rain-water," often written as one word.

  • The rainwater from the storm was clear and clean. (Another form of the same term.)

• Rain (noun): water droplets falling from clouds.

  • The rain lasted all afternoon. (The source of rain-water.)

• Rainfall (noun): the amount of rain that falls in a specific area over a period.

  • The annual rainfall here is about 40 inches. (A measurement related to rain-water.)

Synonyms

• Precipitation water: water that falls from the atmosphere as rain, snow, etc.
• Stormwater: water from rain or melting snow that runs off surfaces.

Related Idioms

• "Save for a rainy day": to reserve something (often money) for future difficulties.
  • He stored the rain-water in barrels, saving it for a dry season. (A literal use of the idiom's concept.)

Notes on Usage

• is typically considered a compound noun and is often written with a hyphen or as a single word ("rainwater"). It is uncountable, so it is not used with "a" or "an" except in specific contexts (e.g., ).