cloud
Other forms: clouds; clouded; clouding
A cloud is a clump of water vapor that you can see in the sky. Clouds are sometimes white and puffy, and other times so big and gray that they completely block the sun.
Clouds form when air rises and cools and the moisture in it condenses into a visible form. Any similar billowy mass is also a cloud, like a cloud of smoke over your campfire or a cloud of dust after your car peels out of the driveway. If you're gloomy or morose, someone might say there's a cloud over you — a figurative cloud of sadness. On the other hand, if you're "on cloud nine," you couldn't be happier.
Definitions of cloud
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a visible mass of water or ice particles suspended at a considerable altitude
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types:
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cirrocumulus, cirrocumulus cloud
a cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples
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cirrostratus, cirrostratus cloud
a thin uniform layer of hazy cloud at high altitude
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cirrus, cirrus cloud
a wispy white cloud (usually of fine ice crystals) at a high altitude (4 to 8 miles)
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cloud bank
a layer of clouds seen from a distance
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condensation trail, contrail
an artificial cloud created by an aircraft; caused either by condensation due to the reduction in air pressure above the wing surface or by water vapor in the engine exhaust
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cumulonimbus, cumulonimbus cloud, thundercloud
a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms
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cumulus, cumulus cloud
a globular cloud
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mother-of-pearl cloud, nacreous cloud
a luminous iridescent cloud at a high altitude that may be seen when the sun is a few degrees below the horizon
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nebule
a small cloud
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nimbus, nimbus cloud, rain cloud
a dark grey cloud bearing rain
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storm cloud
a heavy dark cloud presaging rain or a storm
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stratus, stratus cloud
a large dark low cloud
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altocumulus, altocumulus cloud
a cumulus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles
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altostratus, altostratus cloud
a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles
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mare's tail
a long narrow flowing cirrus cloud
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thunderhead
a rounded projecting mass of a cumulus cloud with shining edges; often appears before a thunderstorm
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type of:
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atmospheric phenomenon
a physical phenomenon associated with the atmosphere
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any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
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types:
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coma
(astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed
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nebula
an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space
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aerosol
a cloud of solid or liquid particles in a gas
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cosmic dust
clouds of particles or gases occurring throughout interstellar space
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dust cloud
a cloud of dust suspended in the air
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mushroom, mushroom cloud, mushroom-shaped cloud
a large cloud of rubble and dust shaped like a mushroom and rising into the sky after an explosion (especially of a nuclear bomb)
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diffuse nebula, gaseous nebula
a cluster of stars within an intricate cloud of gas and dust
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planetary nebula
a nebula that was once thought to be a star with its planets but is now thought to be a very hot star surrounded by an expanding envelope of ionized gases that emit a fluorescent glow because of intense radiation from the star
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fog
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
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haze
atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
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fume, smoke
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
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type of:
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physical phenomenon
a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy
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a group of many things in the air or on the ground“clouds of blossoms”“it discharged a cloud of spores”
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synonyms:
swarm
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types:
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infestation, plague
a swarm of insects that attack plants
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infestation, plague
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make overcast or cloudy
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make milky or dull“The chemical clouded the liquid to which it was added”
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type of:
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dull
make less lively or vigorous
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dull
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billow up in the form of a cloud
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make less visible or unclear
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make less clear
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color with streaks or blotches of different shades
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out of touch with reality
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a cause of worry or gloom or trouble“the only cloud on the horizon was the possibility of dissent by the French”
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type of:
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gloom, gloominess, glumness
an atmosphere of depression and melancholy
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gloom, gloominess, glumness
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suspicion affecting your reputation“after that mistake he was under a cloud”
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type of:
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suspicion
the state of being suspected
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suspicion
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make gloomy or depressed
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place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
Pronunciation
US
/klaʊd/
UK
/klaʊd/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘cloud'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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