Definition of "rainmaker" [rainmaker]

• Informal One who is known for achieving excellent results in a profession or field, such as business or politics. (noun)
• One who is believed to be capable of producing rain, as through magical or ritual actions. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nancy Pelosi is what you call a rainmaker, and in this election, she made is pour."
• "And the third, who was called the rainmaker, used a bunch of twigs to sprinkle water from a jug down to the ground."
• "To some extent you're probably right that becoming a rainmaker is the result of a combination of personal and professional traits, hard to find in any group, and particularly unlikely to be found among female partners who are few and far between."