1 rainfall | Definition of rainfall

rainfall

noun
rain·​fall | \ ˈrān-ˌfȯl How to pronounce rainfall (audio) \

Definition of rainfall

1 : the amount of precipitation usually measured by the depth in inches

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Examples of rainfall in a Sentence

This area has an average annual rainfall of 12 inches. an increase in annual rainfall

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s not expected anytime soon, though: No significant rainfall is in the immediate forecast for Southcentral Alaska. Madeline Mcgee, Anchorage Daily News, "This summer is on track to be the driest on record for Southcentral Alaska," 23 Aug. 2019 If rainfall is scarce come October when all that grass has cured, the lower half of the state will be vulnerable, the agency warned. Los Angeles Times, "California fire mystery: No major summer brush fires after years of record destruction," 22 Aug. 2019 Ideally, spring or fall is the best time to plant daylilies when the temperatures are mild and rainfall is plentiful. Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, "How to Plant Daylilies," 9 Aug. 2019 The Chicago-O’Hare area also saw 10 days of thunderstorms and 16 days of fog in June, according to the National Weather Service’s monthly climatological report, but total rainfall was just a bit over the typical three inches. Jessi Roti, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago’s wet summer interrupts outdoor concerts while fests like Lolla prepare emergency evacuation plans," 15 July 2019 This #Ohio farm would typically be full of growing crops right now, but this year’s heavy rainfall has been devastating to farmers. Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, "Ohio seeks disaster aid for state’s farmers after record rainfall," 5 July 2019 According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the rainfall was the city’s heaviest in a decade and second-highest in 44 years. Rafiq Maqbool, BostonGlobe.com, "Multiple walls collapse in India monsoon rains, 31 killed," 2 July 2019 But according to DeLucia’s study, which analyzed how warmer temperatures would affect how much water plants will need, rainfall won’t be enough to maintain today’s yields as the planet heats up. Sara Harrison, WIRED, "The Midwest's Farms Face an Intense, Crop-Killing Future," 18 June 2019 Additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches may be possible in the heaviest and most persistent storm activity. Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati weather: Heavy rain, flooding expected," 18 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rainfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rainfall

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for rainfall

rainfall

noun

English Language Learners Definition of rainfall

: the amount of rain that falls on a particular area

rainfall

noun
rain·​fall | \ ˈrān-ˌfȯl How to pronounce rainfall (audio) \

Kids Definition of rainfall

2 : amount of precipitation Their average annual rainfall is 80 centimeters.

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