rainfall

[reyn-fawl] /ˈreɪnˌfɔl/
noun
1.
a fall or shower of rain.
2.
the amount of water falling in rain, snow, etc., within a given time and area, usually expressed as a hypothetical depth of coverage:
a rainfall of 70 inches a year.
Origin
1840-50; rain + fall
Examples from the web for rainfall
  • One fourth to one half of the annual rainfall percolates downward, becoming groundwater.
  • It's the surfaces of a forest that drag the wind and make it calm, that take noise out and control rainfall.
  • Winter is cooler and influenced by low-pressure systems, which bring rainfall.
  • Their rainfall has varied greatly in the course of a few centuries.
  • The minimum amount of rainfall on which a company will pay off is one tenth of an inch.
  • Annual rainfall is not always a measure of water wealth.
  • If your area receives plentiful rainfall during the growing season, look for resistant plants.
  • Alkaline soils, in contrast, are typically found in low-rainfall areas.
  • During fall and winter, he supplemented rainfall by watering with a hose every two to four weeks.
  • In areas with summer rainfall, grow them in pots to keep them dry.
British Dictionary definitions for rainfall

rainfall

/ˈreɪnˌfɔːl/
noun
1.
precipitation in the form of raindrops
2.
(meteorol) the amount of precipitation in a specified place and time
Word Origin and History for rainfall
n.

also rain-fall, "amount of precipitation that falls as rain," 1839, from rain (n.) + fall (n.).

rainfall in Science
rainfall
  (rān'fôl')   
The quantity of water, usually expressed in millimeters or inches, that is precipitated in liquid form in a specified area and time interval. Rainfall is often considered to include solid precipitation such as snow, hail, and sleet as well.