rainwater

rainwater — noun

1. the water that falls from clouds as rain, which people collect and use for purpo

1.nounB1
Definition

the water that falls from clouds as rain, which people collect and use for purposes such as watering plants, washing, or drinking after treatment

Example

The garden stays green because Noa collects rainwater in a large barrel.

collocation: collect rainwater

After a long dry summer, the villagers used stored rainwater for their crops.

Common collocations
  • collect rainwater
  • store rainwater
  • drink rainwater
  • rainwater barrel
  • rainwater tank
  • rainwater harvesting
Antonyms
  • tap water

    water that comes from pipes in a building, treated at a water plant

  • groundwater

    water stored under the ground in soil or rock layers

Usage Note

Usually uncountable; used with singular verb forms. Common in discussions of gardening, water conservation, and off-grid water supply.

Common Mistakes

The plants need more rain water.
The plants need more rainwater.
'rainwater' is written as one compound word, not two separate words.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rainwater, rain, rainfall, and precipitation all relate to water falling from the sky, but they are not interchangeable. Rain is the most general word for water drops falling from clouds (e.g., 'The rain stopped at noon'). Rainfall refers to the amount or quantity of rain that falls in a given period, common in weather reports and agriculture (e.g., 'The region had low rainfall this year'). Precipitation is a broader scientific term that includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail (e.g., 'Total precipitation for the month was 50 mm'). Rainwater specifically means the water that results from rain, often emphasizing collection and use — you can collect rainwater, but you do not 'collect rain' or 'collect precipitation' in everyday speech. In a garden context, you talk about 'rain barrels collecting rainwater,' not 'rainfall.'

rain ↗rainfall ↗precipitation ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Rainwater comes from two Old English words: 'regn' (rain) and 'wæter' (water). The compound has been used in English since before the year 1000, first recorded in Old English as 'regnwæter', to describe water that falls from the sky as rain, as distinct from river, spring, or well water.