Meaning & use
rain shadow
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Meaning
nouncountable
A dry area on the side of a mountain range that faces away from the wind, because the mountains block the rain.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a rain shadow' or 'the rain shadow effect'. It is often used with 'in' or 'on': in the rain shadow of the Andes.
Patterns
- in the rain shadow of something
- on the rain shadow side
The desert lies in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, so it gets very little rain.
Farmers on the rain shadow side of the island struggle to grow crops without irrigation.
The rain shadow effect explains why one side of the mountain is green and the other is dry.
Word forms
| plural | rain shadows |
|---|
Common combinations
- rain shadow desert
- The Atacama is a classic rain shadow desert.
- in the rain shadow of
- The valley is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas.
- rain shadow effect
- The rain shadow effect makes the eastern slopes much drier.
- rain shadow area
- These rain shadow areas often have unique plants.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dry zone
- A general term for any dry area; 'rain shadow' specifically explains the dryness as caused by mountains blocking rain.
- leeward side
- The side away from the wind, which often coincides with the rain shadow, but 'leeward' does not necessarily mean dry.
Opposites
Word family
- rain shadowed adjective
- Describing an area that is in a rain shadow; e.g., 'a rain-shadowed valley'.
Commonly confused: rain shadow or rainbow? rain shadow or shadow?
rain shadow vs rainbow
A rainbow is a curved band of colors in the sky, not a dry region.
rain shadow vs shadow
A shadow is a dark shape made by an object blocking light; 'rain shadow' is a weather term.
Practice
The town is located in the ______ of the mountains, so it receives very little rainfall.
Choose one answer.
‘Rain shadow’ is the correct term for a dry area on the side of a mountain away from the wind. ‘Rainbow’ is a colorful arc, ‘raincoat’ is clothing, and ‘rainfall’ is the amount of rain, none of which fit the context of a dry region.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rain shadow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.