altostratus

[ al-toh-strey-tuh s, -strat-uh s ]

/ ˌæl toʊˈstreɪ təs, -ˈstræt əs /

noun, plural al·to·stra·tus. Meteorology.

a cloud of a class characterized by a generally uniform gray sheet or layer, lighter in color than nimbostratus and darker than cirrostratus: of medium altitude, about 8000–20,000 feet (2450–6100 meters).

Nearby words

alton, alton towers, altona, altoona, altophobia, altostratus, altrices, altricial, altrincham, altruism, altruist

Origin of altostratus

First recorded in 1890–95; alto- + stratus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alto-stratus

Alto-stratus is a grey or bluish veil through which the sun and moon are faintly visible, occasionally giving rise to coronæ.
Sounding the Ocean of Air|A. Lawrence Rotch
Through openings in these clouds an upper layer of cirro-stratus or alto-stratus may almost invariably be seen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for alto-stratus

altostratus

/ (ˌæltəʊˈstreɪtəs, -ˈstrɑː-) /

noun plural -ti (-taɪ)

a layer cloud at an intermediate height of about 2400 to 6000 metres (8000 to 20 000 feet)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for alto-stratus

altostratus

[ ăl′tō-străt′əs ]

Plural altostrati (ăl′tō-străt′ī′)

A mid-altitude cloud that extends in flat, smooth sheets or layers of varying thickness. Altostratus clouds generally form between 2,000 and 6,100 m (6,560 and 20,000 ft) and often produce long, steady rain showers. See illustration at cloud.