Drizzle

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈdɹɪz.l/

Definitions

1. Light rain consisting of fine droplets can also refer to the act of applying a thin layer of liquid over a surface
2. A type of gentle rain made up of very fine drops ; to scatter a small amount of liquid over something
3. Rain that falls softly in small droplets ; the action of lightly coating a surface by letting liquid fall in drops

Etymology: The surprising thing about "drizzle" is that its ancestor meant something closer to "to fall" or even "to extinguish" than to rain. The likely trail runs through Middle English "drysning," used for a falling of dew, which came from a Northumbrian Old English verb "drysnan," meaning "to extinguish." That verb is tied to Old English "drēosan," "to fall, to decline," the same root behind modern English "droze" and "drowse," so "drizzle" shares a family with words for sinking into sleep. Over time the form shifted. Speakers probably treated "dryseling" as if it were a diminutive, and the word was then shortened by dropping the apparent ending, leaving "drizzle" as a back-formation. The dating and the exact stages are uncertain, so the link to "drysning" is best read as a plausible reconstruction rather than a settled sequence. The word's sense narrowed as well. A word originally tied to dew and falling moisture came to name the fine, light rain that falls in a steady mist, and it later took on a verb use for that same soft, persistent wetting.

Synonyms: light rain, sprinkle, mist, shower

Antonyms: drought, dryness