rain shadow


Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

rain shadow

n.
An area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a barrier, such as a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture before reaching it.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

rain shadow

n
(Physical Geography) the relatively dry area on the leeward side of high ground in the path of rain-bearing winds
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.rain shadow - an area that has little precipitation because some barrier causes the winds to lose their moisture before reaching it
area, country - a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
Days with heavy precipitation only over the Olympics were also driven by ARs, but were weaker and with a less stable vertical column, yielding a stronger rain shadow effect--enhanced uplift and descent following the terrain--than the more stable common events that deliver heavy precipitation fairly uniformly in both locations.
Even if your house has no eaves you will still have a "rain shadow" where the rain barely lands.
After Jaisalmer, it is Anantapur, which is under the rain shadow area."
under the rain shadow recalls that long-ago promise.
As they lie in the Rayalaseema region (rain shadow zone) and receive the least amount of rainfall, water scarcity has always been an issue for the farmers in the region.
The theory is loosely based on what is called a rain shadow in which one side of a mountain traps moist air while another side of the ridge doesn't.
"The Land of Rain Shadow: Horned Toad, Texas" is comprised of eight stories that share the same setting across time, Author Joyce Gibson Roach writes of the place that sparked her treasured West Texas sensibility.
Bethany finally learns self-acceptance in the metaphor of being in the rain shadow of a mountain where little grows except for the hardiest of shrubs.
The vines are planted in the rain shadow of the Andes where the summit nearly scrapes earth's ceiling.
Award-winning author Valerie Sherrard continues to explore the connection between human beings, community and nature in Rain Shadow, a companion novel to The Glory Wind.