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Glite Dictionary
rain date

rain date

1 3.4
Another day for an outdoor event if rain cancels the first date
  • noun
  • /reɪn deɪt/
translation icon : fecha alternativa
  • The rain date for the outdoor concert is scheduled for Saturday.

Examples

  • The rain date for the event is Oct. 7.

    Blog text (14)

  • Every kid walking through the rows had a smile on their face, and with Hurricane Sandy ruining Halloween (and possibly the upcoming Nor'Easter ruining the rain date), this was truly appreciated!

    Blog text (18)

  • A few photographers delight in light rain and fog, but just in case of inclement weather, it will be necessary to set a rain date and inform your instructors and trail guides to be prepared with an indoor backup plan for their lectures and demonstrations.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Remember to check the rain date in case the picnic gets postponed.

  • The organizer announced that the rain date for the festival is next Sunday.

Surface Forms

rain date singular
rain dates plural

Morphology

rain + date

The noun compound 'rain' + 'date' transparently signals a date related to rain, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a temporal connection with rain. However the specific pragmatic sense — that it is a backup/alternative date to be used if the original event is rained out — depends on a scheduling convention and may not be fully predictable from the parts alone, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Rain date comes from people who plan outdoor events booking a second date to use if there is rain. So, it means the 'backup' day for the event when the first day is cancelled because of bad weather.