Raindrops Are Not Tear-Shaped
Rain is water falling from clouds. The familiar drop shape is a myth.
Rain is water falling from clouds in drops. The teardrop shape everyone draws is wrong. Small raindrops are spherical, held by surface tension; larger ones are flattened underneath by air resistance into a shape more like a hamburger bun, and above about five millimetres they break apart entirely. *Rain* is Old English *regn*, shared with German *Regen*, and gives *rainbow*, which is literally a bow made of rain.
- Falling water. *Heavy rain.*
- To fall as rain. *It is raining.*
- Rainbow. *A rainbow.*
- Rainfall. *Annual rainfall.*
- Old English — *regn*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | rain | Rain. |
| Verb | rain | Raining. |
| Adjective | rainy | Rainy. |
| Compound | rainbow | A rainbow. |
| German | Regen | Rain. |
- The rain fell all night.Weather.
- Small drops are spherical.Physics.
- Regen is the German word.Etymology.
The shape of a falling drop
- Under 1 mm — nearly a perfect sphere
- 1 to 4 mm — flattened below by air resistance
- Above 4 mm — hollowed into a parachute shape
- Above 5 mm — the drop breaks into smaller ones
- The teardrop shape occurs only as a drop leaves a surface
Old English *regn*, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *regen* and German *Regen*.
Are raindrops tear-shaped?
No. Small ones are spherical and larger ones are flattened underneath, more like a bun than a tear.
How large can a raindrop get?
Above about five millimetres it becomes unstable and breaks into smaller drops as it falls.