A profuse and violent outpouring of water; a swollen stream, a torrent; a violent downpour of rain, threatening an inundation.

Without article: Flooding or inundation, swollen condition of water, etc.; copious downpouring of rain. Now usually without const.

A sudden heavy downpour (of rain); a cloudburst. Frequently in plural. Cf. waterspout, n. 3a. Now rare.

A flooding rain, a ‘spate’.

A heavy shower. Obsolete. rare.

The action or an act of something pouring down, or being poured down; that which is poured down; a downpour.

A great flood or overflowing of water, a destructive inundation. (Often used hyperbolically, e.g. of a heavy fall of rain.)

A heavy fall of rain or snow. Now English regional (northern).

A heavy fall of rain.

A heavy fall of rain or snow, a downpour; persistent heavy rain or snow.

The beating down of rain, snow, etc.; a pelting storm or shower.

A drenching rain.

colloquial. A pelting shower, rainstorm, etc. Also figurative.

A heavy downpour of rain. Also in extended use.

A heavy fall of rain, a downpour.

Scottish. A heavy fall (of rain or snow); = on-ding, n.

A heavy, continuous fall of rain. Also in extended use.

British regional. A heavy fall of rain, a downpour.

A heavy downpour of rain.

A heavy fall of water, esp. a heavy downpour of rain. Also: the fall or breaking of a wave. Now rare.

dialect. A soaking rain; also, a soaking with rain.

A heavy splash or downpour.

A heavy saturating rain.

One who or that which drenches; a drenching shower; an apparatus for administering a drench to a beast.

a heavy downpour of rain.