cloud

cloud (kloud)

a. A visible body of very fine water droplets or ice particles suspended in the atmosphere at altitudes ranging up to several miles above sea level.

b. A mass, as of dust, smoke, or steam, suspended in the atmosphere or in outer space.

2. A large moving body of things in the air or on the ground; a swarm: a cloud of locusts.

3. Something that darkens or fills with gloom.

4. A dark region or blemish, as on a polished stone.

5. Something that obscures.

6. Suspicion or a charge affecting a reputation.

7. A collection of charged particles: an electron cloud.

v. cloud·ed, cloud·ing, clouds

v.tr.

1. To cover with or as if with clouds: Mist clouded the hills.

2. To make gloomy or troubled.

3. To obscure: cloud the issues.

4. To cast aspersions on; sully: Scandal clouded the officer's reputation.

v.intr.

To become cloudy or overcast: The sky clouded over.

Idiom:

in the clouds

1. Imaginary; unreal; fanciful.

2. Impractical.

[Middle English, hill, cloud, from Old English cld, rock, hill.]

cloudless adj.

cloud

Noun

1. a mass of water or ice particles visible in the sky

2. a floating mass of smoke, dust, etc.

3. a large number of insects or other small animals in flight

4. something that darkens, threatens, or carries gloom

5. in the clouds not in contact with reality

6. on cloud nine Informal elated; very happy

7. under a cloud

a. under reproach or suspicion

b. in a state of gloom or bad temper

Verb

1. to make or become more difficult to see through: my glasses kept clouding up, mud clouded the water

2. to confuse or impair: his judgment was no longer clouded by alcohol

3. to make or become gloomy or depressed: insanity clouded the last years of his life

See also cloud over [Old English clūd rock, hill]

cloudless adj

cloud (kloud)

1. A visible body of very fine water droplets or ice particles suspended in the atmosphere at altitudes ranging up to several miles above sea level. Clouds are formed when air that contains water vapor cools below the dew point.

2. A distinguishable mass of particles or gas, such as the collection of gases and dust in a nebula.

cloud

Cloud a mass or volume of smoke, flying dust, etc.; a body of insects or birds; a mass of rock; a great crowd; a vast collection. See also drift, plague, swarm.

Examples: cloud of arrows, 1776; of disdain, 1591; of dust; of flies, 1855; of foxes, 1883; of gnats, 1590; of grasshoppers; of incense; of information, 1705; of insects; of locust, 1667; of rain; of rock; of sails, 1748; of seafowl, 1885; of smoke; of starlings, 1882; of witches; of witnesses, 1382.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	cloud - any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible coma - (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed nebula - an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space physical phenomenon - a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy aerosol - a cloud of solid or liquid particles in a gas cosmic dust - clouds of particles or gases occurring throughout interstellar space dust cloud - a cloud of dust suspended in the air mushroom cloud, mushroom-shaped cloud, mushroom - a large cloud of rubble and dust shaped like a mushroom and rising into the sky after an explosion (especially of a nuclear bomb)
	2.	cloud - a visible mass of water or ice particles suspended at a considerable altitude cirrocumulus, cirrocumulus cloud - a cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples cirrostratus, cirrostratus cloud - a thin uniform layer of hazy cloud at high altitude cirrus cloud, cirrus - a wispy white cloud (usually of fine ice crystals) at a high altitude (4 to 8 miles) cloud bank - a layer of clouds seen from a distance condensation trail, contrail - an artificial cloud created by an aircraft; caused either by condensation due to the reduction in air pressure above the wing surface or by water vapor in the engine exhaust cumulonimbus, cumulonimbus cloud, thundercloud - a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms cumulus, cumulus cloud - a globular cloud mother-of-pearl cloud, nacreous cloud - a luminous iridescent cloud at a high altitude that may be seen when the sun is a few degrees below the horizon nebule - a small cloud nimbus, nimbus cloud, rain cloud - a dark grey cloud bearing rain sky - the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth storm cloud - a heavy dark cloud presaging rain or a storm stratus, stratus cloud - a large dark low cloud atmospheric phenomenon - a physical phenomenon associated with the atmosphere water vapor, water vapour - water in a vaporous form diffused in the atmosphere but below boiling temperature
	3.	cloud - out of touch with reality; "his head was in the clouds" irreality, unreality - the state of being insubstantial or imaginary; not existing objectively or in fact
	4.	cloud - a cause of worry or gloom or trouble; "the only cloud on the horizon was the possibility of dissent by the French" gloominess, glumness, gloom - an atmosphere of depression and melancholy; "gloom pervaded the office"
	5.	cloud - suspicion affecting your reputation; "after that mistake he was under a cloud" suspicion - the state of being suspected; "he tried to shield me from suspicion"
	6.	cloud - a group of many things in the air or on the ground; "a swarm of insects obscured the light"; "clouds of blossoms"; "it discharged a cloud of spores" swarm group, grouping - any number of entities (members) considered as a unit insect - small air-breathing arthropod infestation, plague - a swarm of insects that attack plants; "a plague of grasshoppers"
Verb	1.	cloud - make overcast or cloudy; "Fall weather often overcasts our beaches" overcast darken - make dark or darker; "darken a room" fog up - get foggy; "The windshield fogged up" haze - become hazy, dull, or cloudy cloud over, cloud up, overcloud - become covered with clouds; "The sky clouded over" cloud over, cloud up, overcloud - become covered with clouds; "The sky clouded over"
	2.	cloud - make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley" becloud, befog, fog, haze over, obnubilate, obscure, mist conceal, hide - prevent from being seen or discovered; "Muslim women hide their faces"; "hide the money" overshadow - cast a shadow upon; "The tall tree overshadowed the house"
	3.	cloud - billow up in the form of a cloud; "The smoke clouded above the houses" billow, wallow - rise up as if in waves; "smoke billowed up into the sky"
	4.	cloud - make gloomy or depressed; "Their faces were clouded with sadness" impress, strike, affect, move - have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd"
	5.	cloud - place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's reputation" defile, sully, taint, corrupt mar, deflower, impair, vitiate, spoil - make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty"
	6.	cloud - make less clear; "the stroke clouded memories of her youth" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
	7.	cloud - colour with streaks or blotches of different shades dapple, mottle spot - mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify" harlequin - variegate with spots or marks; "His face was harlequined with patches" speckle, stipple - produce a mottled effect; "The sunlight stippled the trees"
	8.	cloud - make milky or dull; "The chemical clouded the liquid to which it was added" dull - make less lively or vigorous; "Middle age dulled her appetite for travel"