cirrostratus

American  

[sir-oh-strey-tuhs, -strat-uhs] / ˌsɪr oʊˈstreɪ təs, -ˈstræt əs /

noun

1. a cloud of a class characterized by a composition of ice crystals and often by the production of halo phenomena and appearing as a whitish and usually somewhat fibrous veil, often covering the whole sky and sometimes so thin as to be hardly discernible: of high altitude, about 20,000–40,000 feet (6000–12,000 meters).

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cirrostratus British  

/ ˌsɪrəʊˈstrɑːtəs /

noun

1. a uniform layer of cloud above about 6000 metres (20 000 feet)

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cirrostratus Scientific  

/ sîr′ō-străt′əs /

cirrostrati plural

1. A thin, hazy, high-altitude cloud composed of ice crystals, often covering the sky in sheets and producing a halo effect around the sun. Cirrostratus clouds generally form between 6,100 and 12,200 m (20,000 and 40,000 ft).

2. See illustration at cloud

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cirrostrative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• cirrostratus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cirrostratus

First recorded in 1795–1805; cirro- + stratus