Cirrocumulus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌsɪr.oʊˈkjuː.mjə.ləs/

Definitions

1. A cloud formation featuring small, white patches that exist at high altitudes, often indicating potentially clear weather conditions
2. This particular type of cloud consists of fluffy, white elements that appear high in the sky, typically associated with fair weather
3. A type of high-altitude cloud characterized by thin, white patches that often suggest the likelihood of pleasant weather conditions

Etymology: Luke Howard, a London chemist who studied weather as an amateur meteorologist, gave the cloud its name in 1803. He was building a classification of clouds around Latin roots, combining "cirrus," the wispy, high-altitude form, with "cumulus," the heaped, puffy kind. The result describes a cloud that is high like cirrus but broken into the rounded patches of cumulus. The first half, "cirro-," is simply a combining form of "cirrus," which in Latin meant a curl or tuft of hair, and then a fringe or tendril. Howard borrowed the image of hair-like wisps for the thin, feathery clouds high in the sky. The second half, "cumulus," is Latin for a heap or mound, which suits the clumps of cloud that look like a pile.