Strati

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plural for a type of low, horizontal cloud mass, typically forming in flat layers ; refers in some contexts to stacked or layered arrangements within geology, biology, or atmospheric science
2. Denotes multiple flat, sheet-like cloud formations found close to the ground ; may also describe layered structural elements in various scientific disciplines
3. Name given to several layers of low-level clouds seen as uniform or blanket-like ; can additionally indicate layered arrangements or strata in natural or scientific settings

Etymology: Luke Howard, a British chemist and amateur meteorologist, gave the cloud its name in 1803, when he presented a paper to the Askesian Society on how clouds form and dissolve. He needed Latin names for the main cloud types, and "stratus" came from the Latin "strātus," meaning "spread or stretched out." Howard admitted the fit was a little forced: the more obvious noun "stratum" did not match the endings of his other two coinages, "cirrus" and "cumulus," and was already used loosely for a layer of clouds. So he chose the participle-derived form to keep the link to the verb "sterno," "to spread out," whose sense suited this flat, blanket-like cloud. "Strati" is simply the plural of "stratus," used when more than one layer of this cloud is in view. The word also gained a wider use in natural and scientific settings, where it refers to layered arrangements, a sense that draws on the older Latin "stratum."

Synonyms: layers, strata, levels, tiers, grades