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Glite Dictionary
nimbus cloud

nimbus cloud

1 4.4
A thick dark grey cloud that makes rain
  • noun
  • /ˈnɪmbəs klaʊd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nube nimbus
  • Farmers welcomed the heavy rain that fell from a nimbus cloud after weeks of dry weather.

Examples

  • A large nimbus cloud had suddenly appeared, and was drifting towards the sun.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Most people prefer your dramatic cumulus and nimbus clouds.

    Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

  • I walked around front to the deck, and he sat wearing the sunglasses, though nimbus clouds hung fat and low.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The sky darkened as a large nimbus cloud rolled in, signaling an approaching storm.

  • Children hurried indoors when they saw a thick nimbus cloud forming overhead, knowing rain was on the way.

Synonyms

rain cloud
vsnimbus cloud
4 1.0

A dark grey cloud that brings rain

is a specific thick dark grey formation that produces rain not any rain formation
nimbus
vsnimbus cloud
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A dark grey cloud that brings rain

is the same meaning but stated in a more descriptive phrase
nimbostratus
vsnimbus cloud
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A thick low cloud layer that brings steady rain or snow

is a thick dark grey formation that produces rain but not necessarily steady precipitation

Surface Forms

nimbus cloud singular
nimbus clouds plural

Morphology

nimbus + cloud

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'nimbus' denotes a grey, precipitation-bearing cloud and 'cloud' denotes a visible mass of water droplets, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a rain-producing cloud. This straightforward noun+noun composition (even if slightly tautological) follows common cross-linguistic patterns and is therefore immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Nimbus cloud may come from an old word nimbus meaning 'rain' or a rain cloud, so the name itself points to rain. Picture a heavy, dark cloud full of water ready to fall, and that is why nimbus cloud means a thick, dark cloud that produces rain.