cumulus
Americannoun
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a heap; pile.
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a cloud of a class characterized by dense individual elements in the form of puffs, mounds, or towers, with flat bases and tops that often resemble cauliflower: as such clouds develop vertically, they form cumulonimbus.
noun
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A dense, white, fluffy cloud with a flat base, a multiple rounded top, and a well-defined outline. The bases of cumulus clouds form primarily in altitudes below 2,000 m (6,560 ft), but their tops can reach much higher. Cumulus clouds are generally associated with fair weather but can also bring rain when they expand to higher levels. The clouds' edges are well-defined when they are composed of water droplets and fuzzy when made up of ice crystals.
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See illustration at cloud
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cumulus
1650–60; < New Latin ( Latin: mass, pile)
Vocabulary lists containing cumulus
Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Weather and Climate - Middle School
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Audio companies Kast Media, Audacy and Cumulus all filed for bankruptcy in the past few years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Roughly 70% of podcast listeners prefer their shows with video, according to a Cumulus Media study.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025
He now can be heard via a new podcast channel on YouTube, according to Cumulus Media, an “audio first” company which reaches some 250 million people each month through radio broadcasts and podcasting.
From Washington Times • Feb. 28, 2023
“With Norm Pattiz’ passing, we have lost a true media visionary,” said Suzanne Grimes, president of Westwood One and executive vice president for Cumulus.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2022
“You see there,” said Professor Cumulus, a behavioral specialist—“that twitch. He’s lying.”
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
