Cloudlet

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A minor formation of condensed moisture in the atmosphere that resembles a small cloud and presents a gentle appearance in the sky
2. An insignificant and small aggregation of water vapor that floats in the sky, typically appearing soft and fluffy, adding to the atmospheric scenery
3. A tiny, isolated formation of condensed water vapor that appears in the sky as a light, delicate patch

Etymology: "Cloudlet" is a plain compound of "cloud" and the diminutive suffix "-let," so the interesting history lies in the ending rather than the root. The suffix "-let" is itself a borrowing that arrived by a long route: it descends from Latin "-ellus" and "-ittus," which passed into Old French as "-el" and "-et," and from there entered Middle English as "-let." English then took "-let" and attached it freely to native words, so that a small thing could be marked off from a large one with a single syllable. Other English nouns built the same way include "booklet," "droplet" and "piglet," and the pattern shows how productive the suffix became. "Cloudlet" follows this model exactly: "cloud" supplies the substance, and "-let" marks it as small and separate. The result is a word that describes a single small patch of vapour drifting apart from the larger sky.

Synonyms: small cloud