Rain vs. Sprinkling: What’s the Difference?
Rain
Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then becomes heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.
The major cause of rain production is moisture moving along three-dimensional zones of temperature and moisture contrasts known as weather fronts. If enough moisture and upward motion is present, precipitation falls from convective clouds (those with strong upward vertical motion) such as cumulonimbus (thunder clouds) which can organize into narrow rainbands. In mountainous areas, heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation which forces moist air to condense and fall out as rainfall along the sides of mountains. On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due to the dry air caused by downslope flow which causes heating and drying of the air mass. The movement of the monsoon trough, or intertropical convergence zone, brings rainy seasons to savannah climes.
The urban heat island effect leads to increased rainfall, both in amounts and intensity, downwind of cities. Global warming is also causing changes in the precipitation pattern globally, including wetter conditions across eastern North America and drier conditions in the tropics. Antarctica is the driest continent. The globally averaged annual precipitation over land is 715 mm (28.1 in), but over the whole Earth it is much higher at 990 mm (39 in). Climate classification systems such as the Köppen classification system use average annual rainfall to help differentiate between differing climate regimes. Rainfall is measured using rain gauges. Rainfall amounts can be estimated by weather radar.
Rain is also known or suspected on other planets, where it may be composed of methane, neon, sulfuric acid, or even iron rather than water.
Rain (noun)
Condensed water falling from a cloud.
“We’ve been having a lot of rain lately.”
“The rains came late that year.”
Rain (noun)
Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
Rain (noun)
An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
“A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.”
Rain (verb)
To have rain fall from the sky.
“It will rain today.”
Rain (verb)
To fall as or like rain.
“It will rain fire and brimstone at the end of days.”
“Tears rained from her eyes.”
“Leaves rained from the tree.”
“Bombs rained from the sky.”
Rain (verb)
To issue (something) in large quantities.
“The boxer rained punches on his opponent’s head.”
Rain (verb)
To reign.
Sprinkling (verb)
present participle of sprinkle
Sprinkling (noun)
The action of the verb to sprinkle.
Sprinkling (noun)
A small amount of (some liquid, powder or other fine substance) that is sprinkled on to something.
Sprinkling (noun)
A light shower of rain.
Rain (noun)
the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops
“it’s pouring with rain”
“the rain had not stopped for days”
Rain (noun)
falls of rain
“the plants were washed away by unusually heavy rains”
Rain (noun)
a large or overwhelming quantity of things that fall or descend
“he fell under the rain of blows”
Rain (verb)
rain falls
“it was beginning to rain”
Rain (verb)
(of the sky, the clouds, etc.) send down rain
“the low sky raining over tower’d Camelot”
Rain (verb)
fall or cause to fall in large or overwhelming quantities
“bombs rained down”
“she rained blows on to him”
Rain (verb)
used to convey that a specified thing is falling in large quantities
“it was just raining glass”
Sprinkling (noun)
a small thinly distributed amount of something
“a sprinkling ofgrey in his hair”
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