stratocumulus

[ strey-toh-kyoo-myuh-luh s, strat-oh- ]

/ ˌstreɪ toʊˈkyu myə ləs, ˌstræt oʊ- /

noun, plural stra·to·cu·mu·lus.

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 8000 feet (2400 meters).

Nearby words

stratify, stratig., stratigraphy, strato-, stratocracy, stratocumulus, stratopause, stratosphere, stratovolcano, stratton, stratum

Origin of stratocumulus

1890–95; strato- + -cumulus

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

British Dictionary definitions for stratocumulus

stratocumulus

/ (ˌstrætəʊˈkjuːmjʊləs, ˌstreɪtəʊ-) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

meteorol a uniform stretch of cloud containing dark grey globular masses

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 stratocumulus

stratocumulus

[ străt′ō-kyōōm′yə-ləs ]

Plural stratocumuli (străt′ō-kyōōm′yə-lī′)

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