Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense clouds, present participle clouding, past tense, past participle clouded
1. variable noun
A cloud is a mass of water vapour that floats in the sky. Clouds are usually white or grey in colour.
...the varied shapes of the clouds.
The sky was almost entirely obscured by cloud.
...the risks involved in flying through cloud.
Synonyms: mist, fog, haze, obscurity More Synonyms of cloud
2. countable noun
A cloudof something such as smoke or dust is a mass of it floating in the air.
The hens darted away on all sides, raising a cloud of dust. [+ of]
Synonyms: billow, mass, shower, puff More Synonyms of cloud
3. verb
If you say that something clouds your view of a situation, you mean that it makes you unable to understand the situation or judge it properly.
Perhaps anger had clouded his vision, perhaps his judgment had been faulty. [VERB noun]
In his latter years religious mania clouded his mind. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: confuse, obscure, distort, impair More Synonyms of cloud
4. verb
If you say that something clouds a situation, you mean that it makes it unpleasant.
His last years were clouded by financial difficulties. [beVERB-ed + by]
5. ergative verb
If your eyes or face cloud or if sadness or anger clouds them, your eyes or your face suddenly show sadness or anger.
[literary]
Trish's face clouded with disappointment. [VERBwith noun]
As he looked at Katherine, great sorrow clouded his eyes. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB]
Cloud over means the same as cloud.
I saw Sean's face cloud over at this blatant lie. [VERBPARTICLE]
6. verb
If glass clouds or if moisture clouds it, tiny drops of water cover the glass, making it difficult to see through.
The mirror clouded beside her cheek. [VERB]
I run the water very hot, clouding the mirror. [VERB noun]
7.
See cloud-based
8.
See have one's head in the clouds
9.
See on cloud nine
10.
See under a cloud
11. every cloud has a silver lining
Phrasal verbs:
See cloud over
More Synonyms of cloud
cloud in British English
(klaʊd)
noun
1.
a mass of water or ice particles visible in the sky, usually white or grey, from which rain or snow falls when the particles coagulate
See also cirrus, cumulonimbus, cumulus, stratus
2.
any collection of particles visible in the air, esp of smoke or dust
3.
a large number of insects or other small animals in flight
4.
something that darkens, threatens, or carries gloom
5. jewellery
a cloudlike blemish in a transparent stone
6. the cloud
7. (modifier)
of or relating to cloud computing
a cloud application
8. in the clouds
9. on cloud nine
10. under a cloud
verb
11. (whenintr, often foll by over or up)
to make or become cloudy, overcast, or indistinct
12. (transitive)
to make obscure; darken
13. (transitive)
to confuse or impair
emotion clouded his judgment
14.
to make or become gloomy or depressed
15. (transitive)
to place under or render liable to suspicion or disgrace
16.
to render (liquids) milky or dull or (of liquids) to become milky or dull
17.
to become or render mottled or variegated
Derived forms
cloudless (ˈcloudless)
adjective
cloudlessly (ˈcloudlessly)
adverb
cloudlessness (ˈcloudlessness)
noun
cloudlike (ˈcloudˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C13 (in the sense: a mass of vapour): from Old English clūd rock, hill; probably related to clod
cloud in American English
(klaʊd)
noun
1.
a visible mass of tiny, condensed water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere: clouds are commonly classified in four groups: A (high clouds above 6,096 m or 20,000 ft) cirrus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus; B (intermediate clouds, 1,981 m to 6,096 m or 6,500 to 20,000 ft) altostratus, altocumulus; C (low clouds, below 1,981 m or 6,500 ft) stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus; D (clouds of great vertical continuity) cumulus, cumulonimbus
2.
a mass of smoke, dust, steam, etc.
3.
a great number of things close together and in motion
a cloud of locusts
4.
an appearance of murkiness or dimness, as in a liquid
5.
a dark marking, as in marble
6.
anything that darkens, obscures, threatens, or makes gloomy
verb transitive
7.
to cover or make dark as with clouds
8.
to make muddy or foggy
9.
to darken; obscure; threaten
10.
to make gloomy or troubled
11.
to cast slurs on; sully (a reputation, etc.)
verb intransitive
12.
to become cloudy
13.
to become gloomy or troubled
Idioms:
in the clouds
under a cloud
Word origin
ME cloude, clude, orig., mass of rock, hence, mass of cloud < OE clud, mass of rock: for IE base see climb
More idioms containing
cloud
under a cloud
on cloud nine
every cloud has a silver lining
COBUILD Collocations
cloud
ash cloud
grey cloud
thick cloud
Examples of 'cloud' in a sentence
cloud
She is very emotional to the point where she can let emotion cloud her judgment.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Now a cloud of suspicion hangs over the entire village of 258 residents.
The Sun (2016)
We retired to promises of clear skies the next day, in spite of the weighty cloud cover.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Further north will see areas of cloud and rain spreading in on a westerly breeze, though with brighter interludes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Struggling through clouds of dust and smoke, they hoped to catch other members of their extended family fleeing the attack.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I was on cloud nine by the time I left.
The Sun (2016)
Vast clouds of volcanic dust were shot into the stratosphere and swept around the globe.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The sun disappears behind a cloud and suddenly it feels chilly.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We work as a team and we got our minds clouded about the whole simple issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
These unusual clouds also signal something quite menacing.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Floating clouds of colour spun and drifted.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Then the wind came up and blew the last clouds away.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
They should offer stunning reflections of sky and clouds by day and look most magical at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Bright flash of electricity caused by ice in clouds knocking together.
The Sun (2014)
You are then left with no evidence but the cloud of suspicion remains.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There were no clouds or moisture in the air to hold in the heat.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
There was constant drilling that gave off clouds of white dust and noise.
The Sun (2015)
Nostalgia for the original and the passing of time cloud our judgment and objectivity.
The Sun (2007)
The cloud cover will also be extensive.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The first indication that our voyage was ending was a mass of grey cloud in the sky.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My dessert took me to cloud nine.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is sound advice because thicker clouds obscure more stars.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is like rising up through the rain and clouds into a realm of pure air and sunshine.
Wilkinson, Steve M.E. and You - a self-help plan (1988)
At the touch of a switch its door opened and up rose a bottle in a cloud of vapour.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His face clouded over in distress.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Emotions cloud reasoning, and both parties likely come with a limited or distorted view of their marriage.
Christianity Today (2000)
A clear sky, but a cloud of gloom blotted out the bright sun of good cheer.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But as the economic storm clouds darken it is surely only a matter of time before its quality is recognised, making it a buy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Quotations
I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hillsWilliam WordsworthI Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
Word lists with
cloud
Weather phenomena
In other languages
cloud
British English: cloud /klaʊd/ NOUN
A cloud is a mass of water vapour that is seen as a white or grey mass in the sky.
The helicopter crashed in thick cloud.
American English: cloud
Arabic: سَحَابَة
Brazilian Portuguese: nuvem
Chinese: 云
Croatian: oblak
Czech: oblak
Danish: sky
Dutch: wolk
European Spanish: nube
Finnish: pilvi
French: nuage
German: Wolke
Greek: σύννεφο
Italian: nuvola
Japanese: 雲
Korean: 구름
Norwegian: sky
Polish: chmura
European Portuguese: nuvem
Romanian: nor
Russian: облако
Latin American Spanish: nube
Swedish: moln
Thai: เมฆ
Turkish: bulut
Ukrainian: хмара
Vietnamese: mây
British English: cloud VERB
If you say that something clouds your view of a situation, you mean that it makes you unable to understand the situation or judge it properly.
Perhaps anger had clouded his vision, perhaps his judgment had been faulty.
American English: cloud
Brazilian Portuguese: turvar
Chinese: 蒙蔽
European Spanish: nublar
French: brouiller
German: trüben
Italian: offuscare
Japanese: 曇らせる
Korean: 흐리다
European Portuguese: turvar
Latin American Spanish: nublar
All related terms of 'cloud'
ash cloud
A cloud of something such as smoke or dust is a mass of it floating in the air.
cloud ear
→ tree ear
St-Cloud
city in NC France : suburb of Paris : pop. 29,000
the cloud
the network of remote servers used in cloud computing
anvil cloud
another name for a cumulonimbus cloud , which tends to be anvil-shaped
cloud base
the apparent lower surface of a cloud or cloud layer
cloud-based
Cloud-based technology allows you to use programs and information that are stored on the internet rather than on your own computer .
cloud cover
the state of the sky when it is covered with cloud
cloud nine
a condition of great joy or bliss ; euphoric state
cloud over
If the sky clouds over , it becomes covered with clouds.
cloud rack
a group of moving clouds
dust cloud
a large cloud of dust that hangs in the air
grey cloud
A cloud is a mass of water vapour that floats in the sky. Clouds are usually white or grey in colour.
Hills cloud
a hypothetical dense, disc-shaped area within the Oort cloud
Oort cloud
a mass of comets orbiting the sun far beyond the orbit of Pluto , whose existence was first proposed by Jan Hendrick Oort (1900–92) in 1950
rain cloud
a cloud from which rain falls or looks likely to fall
roll cloud
arcus
rotor cloud
a cloud within and around which the air is rotating about a horizontal axis, occurring in the lee of a large mountain barrier
Saint-Cloud
a residential suburb of Paris : former royal palace ; Sèvres porcelain factory. Pop: 29 981 (2006)
storm cloud
Storm clouds are the dark clouds which are seen before a storm.
thick cloud
A cloud is a mass of water vapour that floats in the sky . Clouds are usually white or grey in colour.
vapor cloud
A vapor cloud is vapor which has gathered in one place.
word cloud
a visual representation of the words used in a particular piece of text , with the size of each word indicating its relative frequency
billow cloud
a cloud consisting of broad , parallel bands oriented perpendicularly to the wind
cloud agility
the analysis of large amounts of data stored on the internet to allow a business to respond quickly to the requirements of its customers
cloud-capped
having clouds around the top
cloud chamber
an apparatus for detecting high-energy particles by observing their tracks through a chamber containing a supersaturated vapour . Each particle ionizes molecules along its path and small droplets condense on them to produce a visible track
cloud forest
a forest, usually near coastal mountain peaks in tropical regions, that has an almost constant cloud cover, even during the dry season
cloud seeding
any technique of adding material to a cloud to alter its natural development, usually to increase or obtain precipitation
cumulus cloud
a bulbous or billowing white or dark grey cloud associated with rising air currents
funnel cloud
a whirling column of cloud extending downwards from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud: part of a waterspout or tornado
cloud computing
Cloud computing is a model of computer use in which services that are available on the internet are provided to users on a temporary basis.
molecular cloud
a cool dense interstellar region composed of a wide variety of molecules, mainly hydrogen , plus some dust , in which stars are forming
mushroom cloud
A mushroom cloud is an extremely large cloud caused by a nuclear explosion.
lenticular cloud
a very smooth, round or oval , lens-shaped cloud that is often seen, singly or stacked in groups, near a mountain ridge
Magellanic Cloud
either of two small irregular galaxies , the Large Magellanic Cloud ( Nubecula Major ) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (Nubecula Minor ), lying near the S celestial pole ; they are probably satellites of the Galaxy. Distances : 163 000 light years (Large), 196 000 light years (Small)
on cloud nine
If you say that someone is on cloud nine , you are emphasizing that they are very happy.
under a cloud
If someone is under a cloud , people have a poor opinion of them because of something they have done.
cloud-cuckoo-land
If you say that someone is living in cloud-cuckoo-land , you are criticizing them because they think there are no problems and that things will happen exactly as they want them to, when this is obviously not the case.
cloud the judgment
Judgment is the ability to make sensible guesses about a situation or sensible decisions about what to do.
fractocumulus cloud
low ragged slightly bulbous cloud , often appearing below nimbostratus clouds during rain
Wilson cloud chamber
an apparatus for detecting high-energy particles by observing their tracks through a chamber containing a supersaturated vapour . Each particle ionizes molecules along its path and small droplets condense on them to produce a visible track
every cloud has a silver lining
If you say that every cloud has a silver lining , you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it.
Chinese translation of 'cloud'
cloud
(klaud)
n
(c/u) (in sky) 云(雲) (yún) (片, piàn)
(c)[of smoke, dust]雾(霧) (wù) (团, tuán)
(c) (Comput) 云(的) (wù) (团, tuán)
vt
[sb's judgement, view]使模糊 (shǐ móhu)
[outlook, atmosphere]使暗淡 (shǐ àndàn)
every cloud has a silver lining黑暗中总(總)有一线(線)光明 (hēi'àn zhōng zǒngyǒu yī xiàn guāngmíng)
1 (noun)
Definition
a mass of water or ice particles visible in the sky
The sun was almost entirely obscured by cloud.
Synonyms
mist
Thick mist made flying impossible.
fog
The crash happened in thick fog.
haze
Dan smiled at him through a haze of smoke and steaming coffee.
obscurity
the vast branches vanished into deep indigo obscurity above my head
vapour
a cloud of poisonous vapour
nebula
murk
darkness
The room was plunged into darkness.
gloom
the gloom of a foggy November morning
nebulosity
2 (noun)
Definition
a floating mass of smoke, dust, etc.
The hens darted away on all sides, raising a cloud of dust.
Synonyms
billow
billows of almost solid black smoke
mass
shower
puff
3 (noun)
Definition
a large number of insects or other small animals in flight
He was surrounded by a cloud of buzzing flies.
Synonyms
swarm
A swarm of people encircled the hotel.
host
A host of stars attended the awards ceremony.
crowd
It took some two hours before the crowd was fully dispersed.
flock
his flock of advisors
horde
A horde of people was screaming for tickets.
multitude
the multitudes that surround the Pope
throng
An official pushed through the throng.
dense mass
1 (verb)
Definition
to confuse or impair
Perhaps anger has clouded his vision.
Synonyms
confuse
His critics accused him of trying to confuse the issue.
obscure
the jargon that frequently obscures legal documents
distort
impair
muddle
Don't talk all at once, you're muddling me.
disorient
becloud
2 (verb)
Definition
to make or become more difficult to see through
The sky clouded and a light rain began to fall.
Synonyms
darken
A storm darkened the sky.
dim
The dusk sky dims to a chilly indigo.
be overshadowed
be overcast
3 (verb)
Definition
to make or become more difficult to see through
Synonyms
obscure
The building is almost completely obscured by a huge banner.
shadow
The hood shadowed her face.
shade
a health resort whose beaches are shaded by palm trees
eclipse
The sun was eclipsed by the moon.
veil
Her hair swept across her face, as if to veil it.
obfuscate (formal)
They are deliberately obfuscating the issue.
related words
related phobianephophobia
subject word lists
See Types of cloud
Quotation
I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills [William Wordsworth – I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of crowd
Definition
a large number of things or people gathered together
It took some two hours before the crowd was fully dispersed.