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thundercloud

thundercloud

3 2.5
A large dark cloud that brings thunder, lightning, and heavy rain
  • noun
  • /ˈθʌndərˌklaʊd/
translation icon : nube de tormenta
  • In the distance, billowing thunderclouds raced toward us under the glimmering stars, promising some insulating warmth.
  • electric field in thunderclouds
  • thundercloud's electric field

And that meant I was being pulled into a building thundercloud.

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Examples

  • I could feel the thunderclouds gathering, though, when the pastor asked to speak to me in private.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The day is now grey with big, high thunderclouds forming to the west as we wait for Uncle Whitney.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Above was an impenetrable thundercloud outstretched beyond the hills.

  • In 1749, Benjamin Franklin made a fundamental discovery—that lightning is an electrical discharge between a thundercloud and Earth.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The weatherman warned that a thick thundercloud was approaching, bringing heavy rain and lightning.

  • We watched as the thundercloud gathered overhead, signaling an impending storm full of thunder and downpours.

  • The sky was darkened by a looming thundercloud, rumbling ominously as it moved closer.

Synonyms

storm cloud
vsthundercloud
14 1.0

A dark, heavy cloud that shows rain or a storm is coming

is specifically electrically charged and brings thunder and lightning
thunderhead
vsthundercloud
4 6.3

A very large tall cloud that appears before a thunderstorm

is darker and electrically charged rather than bright-edged in appearance
cumulonimbus
vsthundercloud
  • Specialized
2 9.7

A very large dark cloud that brings thunder, heavy rain, and lightning

emphasizes darkness and electrical charge rather than vertical shape
cumulonimbus cloud
vsthundercloud
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A very tall dark cloud that brings heavy rain, thunder, and lightning

is the general everyday name rather than the precise scientific term

Antonyms

Bright weather with a clear sky and no rain

How Stormy

thundercloud
3 2.5
storm cloud
14 1.0
cloud
693 1.0

Surface Forms

thundercloud singular
thunderclouds plural

Morphology

thundercloud = thunder + cloud (transparent) = thunder + cloud

The compound plainly denotes a cloud associated with thunder; learners can derive the meaning from the components.

Etymology

The word thundercloud comes from the two simple words thunder and cloud, so it literally means a 'cloud that makes thunder'. So, a thundercloud brings heavy rain, lightning and the loud sound of thunder.