pall of smoke
1
7.3
- noun
- /pɔl əv smoʊk/
- 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
99
6.1
A feeling of doubt or worry that harms someone's reputation
37
3.4
A thin cloud of dust, smoke, or moisture that makes it hard to see
16
4.2
Sadness or worry that affects groups such as families and companies
14
1.9
A large mass of smoke in the air from a fire
10
8.0
A sad heavy feeling that hangs over a place
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'.