Standard Lemma guide

cirrocumulus

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌsɪɹə(ʊ)ˈkjuːmjʊləs/
  • General-American: /ˌsɪɹoʊˈkjumjələs/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːmjʊləs

1

noun

Meaning 1

A principal high-level cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows, composed of very small droplets in the form of grains or ripples. The elements may be merged or separate, and more or less regularly arranged; they subtend an angle of less than 1° when observed at an angle of more than 30° above the horizon. Holes or rifts often occur in a sheet of cirrocumulus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Cc

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cirrocumulus cloud

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cloud

History

Etymology

From cirro- + cumulus, coined by the British chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard (1772–1864): see the 1803 quotation.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: cirrocúmul — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Chinese Cantonese: 卷積雲 /卷积云 (gyun2 zik1 wan4) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Chinese Mandarin: 卷積雲 /卷积云 (juǎnjīyún) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Dutch: schapenwolk — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Dutch: cirrocumulus — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Esperanto: cirokumuluso — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Finnish: palleropilvi — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • French: cirrocumulus — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Greek: θυσανοσωρείτης (thysanosoreítis) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Hungarian: bárányfelhő — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Italian: cirrocumulo — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Japanese: 鰯雲 (iwashigumo) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Japanese: 巻積雲 (kensekiun) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Japanese: 鯖雲 (sabagumo) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Japanese: 鱗雲 (urokogumo) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Korean: 권적운 (gwonjeogun) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Latin: cirrocumulus — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Latin: nubes cirrocumula — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Macedonian: цирокумулус (cirokumulus) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Polish: cirrocumulus — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Polish: baranek — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Russian: перисто-кучева́я (peristo-kučevája) — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Spanish: cirrocúmulo — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows
  • Welsh: siro-cwmwlws — cloud type appearing as a thin, white patch of cloud without shadows