1. rain, shower Ja.iv.284; Ja.vi.486 (khaṇika sudden rain); Mil.307; Mhvs.21, Mhvs.31; Dhp-a.iii.163 (pokkhara˚ portentous); Snp-a.224 (mahā˚ deluge of rain); Pv-a.55 (vāta˚ wind & rain)
   ■ fig. shower, downpour fall MN.i.130 = Vin.ii.25 (kahāpaṇa˚); Dhp-a.ii.83 (kusuma˚)
   ■ Esp. the rainy season, lasting roughly from June to October (Āsāḷha-Kattika), often called “Lent,” though the term does not strictly correspond Usually in pl. vassā (AN.iv.138), also termed vassā-ratta “time of rains” (Ja.iv.74; Ja.v.38). Cp. BSk. varṣā, e.g. Divy.401, Divy.509
   ■ Keeping Lent (i.e. spending the rainy season) is expressed by vassaṃ vasati Vin.iii.10; Mhvs.16, Mhvs.8; or by vassa-vāsaṃ (vass’ āvāsaṃ) vasati (see below) vassaṃ upeti SN.v.152, vassaṃ upagacchati SN.v.152; Pv-a.42. One who has kept Lent or finished the residence of the rains is a vuttha-vassa Ja.i.82; Mhvs.17, Mhvs.1; or vassaṃ vuttha Vin.iii.11; SN.i.199; SN.v.405; Pv-a.43. Cp BSk. varṣ’ oṣita Divy.92, Divy.489
   ■ Vassa-residence is vassa-vāsa (see below)
   ■ vassaṃ vasāpeti (Caus.) to induce someone to spend the rainy season Pv-a.20- anto-vassaṃ during Lent; cp. antovass’ eka-divasaṃ one day during Lent Mhvs.18, Mhvs.2; antara-vassaṃ id SN.iv.63.
2. (nt.) a year AN.iv.252 (mānusakāni paññāsa vassāni); Snp.289, Snp.446, Snp.1073. satta˚; (adj.) seven years old Mhvs.5, Mhvs.61; satta-aṭṭha˚ 7 or 8 years old Pv-a.67
   ■ See cpd. -sata.
3. semen virile, virility see compounds -kamma & ˚vara.

-agga shelter from the rain, a shed (agga = agāra Ja.i.123; Dhp-a.iii.105 = Vv-a.75. -āvāsa vassa-residence AN.iii.67. -āvāsika belonging to the spending of the rainy season, said of food (bhatta) given for that purpose Ja.vi.71; Dhp-a.i.129 (as one of the 4 kinds: salāka˚ pakkhika˚, navacanda˚, vass’-āvāsika˚), Dhp-a.i.298; Dhp-a.iv.129 (˚lābha a gift for the r. s.). -upagamana entering on the vassa-residence Pv-a.42. -upanāyikā (f.) the approach of the rainy season, commencement of Vassa residence [BSk. varṣopanāyikā Divy.18, Divy.489; Avs.i.182, where epithet of the full moon of Āsāḷha]. Two such terms for taking up the residence: purimikā & pacchimikā AN.i.51 i.e. the day after the full moon of Ā. or a month after that date. See upanāyika
■ vass’ ûpanāyika-divasa the first day of Lent Vism.92; Dhp-a.iv.118; ˚ûpanāyikaṃ khandhakaṃ the section of the Vinaya dealing with the entrance upon Lent (i.e. Vin.i.137 sq.) Mhvs.16, Mhvs.9. -odaka rain-water Vism.260 = Vb-a.243 -kamma causing virility DN.i.12 (= vasso ti puriso, vosso ti paṇḍako iti; vossassa vassa-karaṇaṃ vassa-kammaṃ vassassa vossa-karaṇaṃ vossa-kammaṃ DN-a.i.97). -kāla time for rain Ja.iv.55. -dasa (& ˚dasaka) a decade of years: see enumerated at Ja.iv.397. -pūgāni innumerable years Ja.vi.532, cp. Snp.1073. -vara a eunuch Ja.vi.502 -valāhaka a rain cloud AN.iii.243 (˚devā). -vassana shedding of rain, raining Dhp-a.ii.83. -vāsa Vassa residence SN.v.326; Pv-a.20. -vuṭṭhi rainfall Snp-a.34, cp.224. -sata a century Snp.589, Snp.804; AN.iv.138; Pv.ii.1#15 Pv-a.3, Pv-a.60, Pv-a.69. -satika centenarian Mil.301.

cp. Vedic varṣa (nt.) rain. For etym. see vassati¹