cumulus

American  

[kyoo-myuh-luhs] / ˈkyu myə ləs /

noun

plural

cumulus

1. a heap; pile.

2. 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.

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cumulus British  

/ ˈkjuːmjʊləs /

noun

1. a bulbous or billowing white or dark grey cloud associated with rising air currents Compare cirrus stratus

2. histology the mass of cells surrounding a recently ovulated egg cell in a Graafian follicle

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cumulus Scientific  

/ kyo̅o̅m′yə-ləs /

plural

cumuli

1. 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.

2. See illustration at cloud

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Etymology

Origin of cumulus

1650–60; < New Latin ( Latin: mass, pile)

Example Sentences

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

Cumulus returned KGO to a talk format in 2016.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2022

Cumulus and Argon looked at each other, all traces of antagonism gone.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer