n.
Pronunciation: ' sir- ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural cir · ri \ ' sir- ˌ ī \
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, curl
Date: 1708
1 : TENDRIL
2 : a slender usually flexible animal appendage or projection: as a : an arm of a barnacle b : a filament of a crinoid c : a fused group of cilia functioning like a limb on some protozoans d : the male copulatory organ of various invertebrate animals
3 : a high wispy white cloud usually of minute ice crystals formed at altitudes between about 20,000 and 40,000 feet (6,000 and 12,000 meters) ― see CLOUD illustration