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Glite Dictionary
stratocumulus

stratocumulus

1 7.9
A low, thick cloud made of lumpy patches that often covers the sky
  • noun
  • /ˌstrætəˈkjuːmələs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : estratocúmulo
  • The weather report mentioned that stratocumulus clouds will cover our area throughout the day.

Examples

  • As if seeking divine intervention, Seth gazed skyward at some slate-colored stratocumulus formations drifting in from the northwest.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The biggest changes in SST are with ENSO and the PDO—this is where the changes in low-level marine stratocumulus show up in COADS observations.

    Blog text (29)

  • Though not formerly an expert, I do know that we are rapidly approaching the point at which cloudy conditions, especially low-level stratocumulus in a few weeks, will favor melting longer into September and possibly (though unlikely) into October.

    Blog text (18)

  • STRATOCUMULUS.

    The Avengers (1998)

  • The sky was filled with thick, lumpy stratocumulus clouds that obscured the sun.

  • As the storm approached, we could see the dark stratocumulus clouds forming a dense layer above us.

How Low

stratus
  • Specialized
1 5.9
stratocumulus
  • Specialized
1 7.9
cumulus
4 4.9
altostratus
  • Specialized
9.9
cirrus
  • Specialized
2 7.0

Surface Forms

stratocumulus singular
stratocumuluses plural
stratocumuli plural

Morphology

stratocumulus = stratus + cumulus (semi-transparent) = strato + cumulus

The term combines the cloud-type names 'stratus' and 'cumulus' (with a linking vowel 'o'); the compound is clear in formation but is technical vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

The word stratocumulus comes from two Latin parts: strato- meaning 'layer' and -cumulus meaning 'heap' or 'pile', the same root as accumulate. So, a stratocumulus is like a 'layer of heaps' of cloud, which is why these low, thick clouds often cover the sky in large, lumpy patches.