pall of smoke
1
7.3
- noun
- /pɔl əv smoʊk/
:
nube de humo
- By its light, he can make out a small house or cottage, and as he comes closer, he sees a pall of smoke blowing from the chimney.
Examples
-
The flamethrower fires again, scorching the rock wall, filling the cave with a pall of smoke.
Fiction book (1996) -
He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face, beating a hole through the pall of smoke.
Fiction book (1997) -
The two great scholars shuddered behind a pall of smoke.
Fiction book (1990) -
A gray pall of smoke hovered over every city in the Reich.
Fiction book (1991) -
He lit a cigarette and sat with the windows rolled up, lost in the veils and palls of smoke.
Fiction book (1999) -
The start was less rigidly controlled than a timed hill climb, but still the norm was to be launching straight into the barely cleared pall of smoke left by the previous car.
Blog text (26) -
He stared down State Street, peering intently through the pall of smoke and soot cloaking the area.
Fiction book (1996) -
A dark pall of smoke hung over the island for weeks as the grim work continued.
-
A pall of smoke hung over the city like a shroud.
-
Earlier this week, the giant Ferguson Fire cast a thick pall of smoke over Yosemite National Park, forcing park officials to close the gates.
Synonyms
176
6.1
A feeling of doubt or worry that harms someone's reputation
41
3.4
A thin cloud of dust, smoke, or moisture that makes it hard to see
8
1.9
A large mass of smoke in the air from a fire
8
8.0
A sad heavy feeling that hangs over a place
2
4.2
Sadness or worry that affects groups such as families and companies
Antonyms
How Dense
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'pall' denotes an oppressive covering or gloom, and when combined with 'smoke' it yields the image of a covering layer of smoke that obscures and creates a gloomy atmosphere. This is a metaphorical but compositional use (covering + smoke), so the meaning is partly derivable from the parts but requires recognizing the figurative sense of 'pall', making it only partially predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Pall of smoke comes from the word pall, a heavy cloth put over a coffin at a funeral. When smoke hangs over a place like that dark cloth, it feels heavy and gloomy, so 'pall of smoke' means 'a thick cloud of smoke that hides things and makes the place feel dark'.