stratocumulus

American  

[strey-toh-kyoo-myuh-luhs, strat-oh-] / ˌstreɪ toʊˈkyu myə ləs, ˌstræt oʊ- /

noun

1. a cloud of a class characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumulus and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).

---

stratocumulus British  

/ ˌstreɪtəʊ-, ˌstrætəʊˈkjuːmjʊləs /

noun

1. meteorol a uniform stretch of cloud containing dark grey globular masses

---

stratocumulus Scientific  

/ străt′ō-kyo̅o̅m′yə-ləs /

stratocumuli plural

1. A low-altitude, often patchy cloud occurring in extensive horizontal layers with distinct, rounded tops.

2. See illustration at cloud

---

Etymology

Origin of stratocumulus

1890–95; strato- + cumulus ( def. )

Example Sentences

Marine stratocumulus clouds over the southeastern Pacific Ocean, captured by NASA’s Terra satellite in 2002.Credit...NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL,

From New York Times • May 3, 2024

Brilliant red, orange and scarlet sunsets often take place in the presence of higher cirrus or altocumulus clouds instead of low-level clouds such as stratus or stratocumulus.

From Washington Post • Apr. 13, 2023

If you've never had mascarpone cheese, it's what I imagine biting into a thick stratocumulus cloud would taste like: light and fluffy, but with a glossy heft..

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2021

One way they’ve collected the data they need to make these calculations is by flying through stratocumulus clouds with “dangling instruments from airplane wings to measure atmospheric conditions and bounce lasers off of cloud droplets.”

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2019

The clouds in the latest viral photos are called stratocumulus standing lenticularis, because of their height and shape.

From National Geographic • Nov. 9, 2015