rainwater
noun
rain·wa·ter
ˈrān-ˌwȯ-tər 
-ˌwä-
: water fallen as rain that has not collected soluble matter from the soil and is therefore soft
Examples of rainwater in a Sentence
a bucket filled with rainwater
Recent Examples on the Web
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is working to restore habitats and implement green infrastructure throughout the city that will help soak up rainwater during heavy storms.
—
Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
City officials’ most urgent goal is to prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024
The ground in the region is extremely saturated and unable to soak in additional moisture, causing fast-falling rainwater to wash away immediately, creating conditions for significant flash flooding.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2024
Every inch of the home’s outdoor space is funnels rainwater into seven underground cement reservoirs.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
By reducing the grass footprint on this project, permeable hardscaping was swapped in the form of gravel and interlocking pavers to create a space for entertaining that would also provide crucial rainwater absorption.
—Sunset In Partnership With Yardzen, Sunset Plant Collection, Terra, and Timbertech, Sunset Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
The building includes photovoltaic solar panels, plumbing systems that limit water waste, drought-tolerant plants and rainwater retention systems to reduce irrigation demands.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 15 Mar. 2024
The city's rainwater catchment basins have been so dry that one, the El Cristo basin, caught fire on Tuesday, burning through 75 acres.
—USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024
The rainwater rolls off the city’s hard, impermeable surfaces, rather than sinking into the ground.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
City officials’ most urgent goal is to prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024
The ground in the region is extremely saturated and unable to soak in additional moisture, causing fast-falling rainwater to wash away immediately, creating conditions for significant flash flooding.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2024
Every inch of the home’s outdoor space is funnels rainwater into seven underground cement reservoirs.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
By reducing the grass footprint on this project, permeable hardscaping was swapped in the form of gravel and interlocking pavers to create a space for entertaining that would also provide crucial rainwater absorption.
—Sunset In Partnership With Yardzen, Sunset Plant Collection, Terra, and Timbertech, Sunset Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
The building includes photovoltaic solar panels, plumbing systems that limit water waste, drought-tolerant plants and rainwater retention systems to reduce irrigation demands.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 15 Mar. 2024
The city's rainwater catchment basins have been so dry that one, the El Cristo basin, caught fire on Tuesday, burning through 75 acres.
—USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024
The rainwater rolls off the city’s hard, impermeable surfaces, rather than sinking into the ground.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rainwater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of rainwater was
before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near rainwater
Cite this Entry
“Rainwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainwater. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
rainwater
noun
rain·wa·ter
-ˌwȯt-ər
-ˌwät-
: water falling or fallen as rain
Biographical Definition
Rainwater
biographical name
Rain·wa·ter
ˈrān-ˌwȯ-tər
-ˌwä-
L(eo) James 1917–1986 American physicist
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