| rain | Water falling in drops from the clouds; the descent of water from the clouds in drops. "Rain is water by the heat of the sun divided into very small parts ascending in the air, till, encountering the cold, it be condensed into clouds, and descends in drops." (Ray) "Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain." (Milton) Rain is distinguished from mist by the size of the drops, which are distinctly visible. When water falls in very small drops or particles, it is called mist; and fog is composed of particles so fine as to be not only individually indistinguishable, but to float or be suspended in the air. See Fog, and Mist. <meteorology> Rain band See Quail. Rain water, water that has fallen from the clouds in rain. Origin: OF. Rein, AS. Regen; akin to OFries. Rein, D. & G. Regen, OS. & OHG. Regan, Icel, Dan, & Sw. Regn, Goth. Rign, and prob. To L. Rigare to water, to wet; cf. Gr. To wet, to rain. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| rainbow | A bow or arch exhibiting, in concentric bands, the several colours of the spectrum, and formed in the part of the hemisphere opposite to the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of falling rain. Besides the ordinary bow, called also primary rainbow, which is formed by two refractions and one reflection, there is also another often seen exterior to it, called the secondary rainbow, concentric with the first, and separated from it by a small interval. It is formed by two refractions and two reflections, is much fainter than the primary bow, and has its colours arranged in the reverse order from those of the latter. Lunar rainbow, a fainter arch or rainbow, formed by the moon. Marine rainbow, or Sea bow, a similar bow seen in the spray of waves at sea. <zoology> Rainbow trout See Wrasse. Supernumerary rainbow, a smaller bow, usually of red and green colours only, sometimes seen within the primary or without the secondary rainbow, and in contact with them. Origin: AS. Regenboga, akin to G. Regenbogen. See Rain, and Bow anything bent. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| rainbow symptom | A yellowish white ring surrounding the optic disk, indicating atrophy of the choroid in glaucoma. Synonym: glaucomatous ring. A halo surrounding lights, caused by corneal oedema in glaucoma. Synonym: rainbow symptom. (05 Mar 2000) |
| raindeer | <zoology> See Reindeer. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Rainey's corpuscles | Rounded, ovoidal, or sickle-shaped spores or bradyzoites, 12 to 16 by 4 to 9 um, found within the elongated cysts (Miescher's tubes) of the protozoan Sarcocystis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Rainey, George | <person> English anatomist, 1801-1884. See: Rainey's corpuscles. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acid rain | <biology, plant biology> This is rain which has turned acidic because of the presence of sulphur or nitrogen oxides (both created from burning coal and other fossil fuels) in the atmosphere. Acid rain is a serious environmental problem, it can kill trees and harm plants and animals in lakes and ponds. (09 Oct 1997) |
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