ice-rain

A child watches ice-rain fall against the window.

Definition

Noun:
- Precipitation consisting of small, frozen raindrops: "ice-rain" refers to a type of precipitation where raindrops freeze into tiny ice pellets before reaching the ground, often creating a layer of ice on surfaces.
- Example: The weather forecast warned of ice-rain overnight, making roads dangerously slick. (Frozen raindrops falling as ice.)

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Drivers were advised to stay home due to the heavy ice-rain. (Precipitation of frozen raindrops.)
  • The trees glistened after the ice-rain coated every branch. (A layer of ice from frozen rain.)

Advanced Usage

• "to turn into ice-rain": to change from liquid rain into frozen droplets as it falls.
  • The rain turned into ice-rain as temperatures dropped below freezing. (The rain froze mid-fall.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ice-rainstorm (n): a storm characterized by heavy ice-rain.
  • The city was paralyzed by an ice-rainstorm that knocked out power lines. (A storm with frozen rain.)
• Ice-rainfall (n): the amount of ice-rain that falls in a given period.
  • The ice-rainfall was measured at 2 inches overnight. (Quantity of frozen rain.)

Synonyms

• Sleet: a common term for small, frozen raindrops that bounce on impact.
  • Sleet is often used interchangeably with ice-rain in everyday speech.
• Freezing rain: rain that freezes upon contact with cold surfaces, similar but distinct in formation.
  • Freezing rain is liquid when it falls, while ice-rain is already frozen.

Related Idioms

• "A coat of ice-rain": a metaphorical layer of frozen rain covering something.
  • The car was covered in a coat of ice-rain after the storm. (A thin, icy layer.)
• "Ice-rain like bullets": describing the sharp, stinging sensation of falling ice-rain.
  • The ice-rain hit the windshield like bullets, making driving impossible. (Frozen rain pelting hard.)