rainshower

See also: rain shower

English

Etymology

From Middle English rayne-shour, reyne showre, from Old English reġnsċūr, equivalent to rain +‎ shower. Cognate with Icelandic regnskúr (“rainshower”).

Noun

rainshower (plural rainshowers)

1. Alternative form of rain shower
   • 1944, United States. Army Air Forces. Weather Division, Studies on local forecasting:

     Under these circumstances, fair weather, with just scattered cumulus clouds in the afternoon, will prevail for about 2 or 3 days with very little, if any, rainshower activity

   • 1993, P. M. Duff, Holmes' Principles of Physical Geology:

     A brief rainshower falling on the smooth surface of fine-grained sediment spatters it with tiny crater-like pittings known as rain prints.

   • 2002, Jerry Holmes, Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts, page 308:

     Thomas Jefferson was laid to rest in the Monticello graveyard at 5:00 P.m. on July 5, during a soft summer rainshower.

Anagrams

• hawser iron