I. ˈklau̇d noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, rock, hill, cloud, from Old English clūd; akin to Greek gloutos buttock, Slovenian glûta bump, Sanskrit glau round lump — more at gall
1.
a. : a visible assemblage of particles of water or ice in the form of fog, mist, or haze formed by the condensation of vapor in the air and suspended in the air generally at a considerable height — see cirrus , cumulus , nimbus , stratus
b. : the material of which such a mass is composed
c. : a light filmy, puffy, or billowy mass seeming to float in the air
a clipper ship under a cloud of sail
a girl with a lustrous cloud of long golden hair
2.
a. : a usually visible assemblage of minute particles of a substance suspended in the surrounding air or in a gas
enveloped in a cloud of steam
when the wind drops, the sand cloud disappears with it — R.A.Bagnold
the mushroom cloud arising from an atomic blast
the flower smell came up in a heavy invisible cloud from the bed — Paul Bowles
b. : one of the aggregations of obscuring matter in space that reveal themselves as dark areas against the background of more distant bright objects or by stationary lines in stellar spectra
fine yellow dust forming the clouds of the morning star
c. : a group of microscopic waves or electrically charged particles
a cloud of electrons exists in the space surrounding the cathode — A.V.Eastman
3.
a. : a flying swarm (as of birds, insects, or airplanes)
b. : a great crowd or multitude
a host of individual geniuses and a cloud of admirable painters notwithstanding — Clive Bell
in a mystifying cloud of words
4.
a. : something that has a dark, lowering, or threatening aspect
the clouds of World War II began to loom over the horizon
b. : something that temporarily overshadows or depresses
occasionally a cloud darkens my reflections — P.E.More
5.
a. : something that obscures or disrupts
tried to veil his testimony in a cloud of sanctity — L.P.Stryker
b. : something that impairs, detracts, subjects to suspicion or controversy : blemish
justice demands removal of the cloud on the title to this land
a cloud rests over the transaction
emerging from under the cloud of international disapprobation
6.
a. : a dark or opaque vein or spot on a lighter or transparent material (as in marble)
b. : a similar spot of any shade or color against a different ground
precipitated as a reddish cloud in the bottle
specifically : a patch of color marking
a blackish cloud on the mare's forehead
7. : a large lightweight loosely knitted head scarf
•
- in the clouds
- under a cloud
[s]clouds.jpg[/s] [
cloud 1: 1 cirrus, 2 cirrostratus, 3 cirrocumulus, 4 altostratus, 5 altocumulus, 6 stratocumulus, 7 nimbostratus, 8 cumulus, 9 cumulonimbus, 10 stratus
]
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to grow cloudy : become overcast — usually used with over or up
cloud over before a rain
b. of a transparent surface : to become overspread or obscured with spots or streaks
a windshield often clouds in winter with condensation of the breath
2.
a. of facial features : to become troubled, apprehensive, or distressed in appearance
his eyes clouded with indignation
b. : to become blurry, dubious, or ominous
the outlook … clouded abruptly — Michael Clark
3. : to billow up in the form of a cloud
transitive verb
1.
a. : to envelop or hide with a cloud or as if by a cloud
the mountain peak was clouded all day
the smog clouded our view
b. : to make opaque (as a mirror or window) especially by condensation of moisture
the steam from the shower clouded the windows
c. : to darken or make murky especially with smoke or mist
smoke clouded the sky and the atmosphere of the hillside
d. : to darken or overshadow with a dispirited or dispiriting cast (as of perplexity, gloom, shame)
with a distressing melancholy clouding her features
2. : to make unclear : obscure , confuse :
a. : to make uncertain or disputable (as a title or an issue)
both the title and the legal right are clouded by the loss
cloud the issue of fault and blame
b. : to make indistinct or difficult to discern or clarify
language which will not cloud the nature of the problem
c. : to make (the mind or the reasoning) confused or illogical
a religiosity which clouded their minds
d. : to make torpid
a disease characterized by a clouding of consciousness
3.
a. : taint , sully
a clouded reputation
a clouded character
the slightly dishonest deed clouded his good name all his life
no misunderstanding ever clouded their friendship — John Buchan
b. : to impair or distort the sound state or purity of
letting his feelings cloud his sense of justice
c. : to cast gloom over or put a blighting influence on — usually implying a certain persistence of the cause
the latter part of his life was clouded by disillusionment
discouragements cloud the life of every man at some time
d. : to impoverish of spirit or morale
his future was clouded by poor eyesight
4. : to mark with or darken in patches or spots
the hot water clouded the surface of the table
the wind clouded the lake
Synonyms: see obscure