cumulus

noun

cu·​mu·​lus ˈkyü-myə-ləs How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
plural cumuli ˈkyü-myə-ˌlī How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
-ˌlē
1
2
[New Latin, from Latin] : a dense puffy cloud form having a flat base and rounded outlines often piled up like a mountain see cloud illustration

Examples of cumulus in a Sentence

the cumulus of sundry things that fill up one's attic and somehow sum up a lifetime of experiences
Recent Examples on the Web The vanishing of cumulus clouds during a partial solar eclipse was confirmed by researchers using satellite images taken during three partial solar eclipses across Africa between 2005 and 2016. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Because cumulus clouds can easily transform into rain clouds, the team's finding suggests climate geoengineering that involves blocking sunlight could effect weather patterns and precipitation. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 Soon the old Cessna is bouncing through the cumulus, the dense rainforest below resembling a head of broccoli. Nina Burleigh, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 But imagine, walls of Wingate Sandstone climbing out of canyons, reaching for a blue sky dotted with cumulus clouds. Alexandra Cheney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023 The study found these clouds, typically cumulus, cirrus or cirrostratus clouds, can enhance solar radiation on the surface by up to 80 percent compared to cloudless conditions. Kasha Patel, Anchorage Daily News, 21 July 2023 Notice how the cumulus clouds diminish during the #eclipse and take almost an hour after totality to redevelop! Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Oct. 2023 Fair weather waterspouts, on the other hand, form upward from the water in light wind conditions along a line of developing cumulus clouds. Divya Murthy, Detroit Free Press, 18 July 2023 To carry out the freeze-drying process, Wakayama’s team harvested support cells known as cumulus cells from around the oocyte of female black-furred mice. Megan Molteni, STAT, 8 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cumulus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cumulus was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near cumulus

Cite this Entry

“Cumulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cumulus. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cumulus

noun
cu·​mu·​lus ˈkyü-myə-ləs How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
plural cumuli -ˌlī How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
-ˌlē
: a dense puffy cloud form having a flat base and rounded outlines often piled up like a mountain

Medical Definition

cumulus

noun
cu·​mu·​lus ˈkyü-myə-ləs How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
plural cumuli -ˌlī, -ˌlē How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
: the projecting mass of granulosa cells that bears the developing ovum in a graafian follicle

called also discus proligerus

More from Merriam-Webster on cumulus

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