If we search for the term “precipitation” in the Glossary of Meteorology (AMS 2024a) we find that it is defined as “all hydrometeors formed in the atmosphere, including liquid, solid, or a combination of the two (e.g., resulting from incomplete melting or freezing or from accretion), that are large enough to fall as a result of gravity”. The Glossary continues telling us that “the more common term rainfall is also used in this total sense to include not only amounts of rain, but also the water equivalents of frozen precipitation. For obvious reasons, precipitation is the preferred general term”. It may seem a most trivial definition, but it is not since rainfall is often used interchangeably for precipitation and this creates misunderstandings when trying to appreciate weather and climate processes.