cirrus

/'sirəs/

Thân thiện

A single wispy cirrus cloud drifts high in the blue sky.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A slender, flexible appendage in certain animals: A thin, hair-like or tentacle-like structure found on some invertebrates, such as barnacles, crinoids, or insects, often used for sensing or feeding.
   • A type of high-altitude cloud: A wispy, white cloud composed of delicate ice crystals, typically found at altitudes between 4 to 8 miles (6.5 to 13 kilometers).

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Zoological):

  • The barnacle extends its cirri from its shell to capture food particles from the water.
  • Under the microscope, the insect's sensory cirri were clearly visible.

• Noun (Meteorological):

  • The sky was dotted with delicate cirrus clouds, indicating fair weather.
  • Cirrus clouds often appear as thin, feathery streaks high in the atmosphere.

Advanced Usage

• "Cirrus uncinus": A specific type of cirrus cloud with a hooked shape.

  • The meteorologist noted that the cirrus uncinus formations suggested a change in the weather pattern.

• "Cirrus fibratus": A type of cirrus cloud appearing in straight or slightly curved filaments.

  • The sky was a clear blue, marked only by a few strands of cirrus fibratus.

Variants and Related Words

• Cirriform (adj): Having the form or appearance of cirrus clouds.

  • The cirriform veil covered the upper sky.

• Cirro- (prefix): A combining form used in meteorological terms relating to high clouds.

  • Cirrocumulus and cirrostratus are other cloud types found at similar high altitudes.

Synonyms

• Tendril: A slender, coiling plant part (for the botanical sense; note: 'cirrus' in botany can mean a tendril, though this is a distinct, related usage).
• Feather cloud: An informal term for the appearance of cirrus clouds.
• Mare's tail: A common name for a specific type of wispy cirrus cloud.

Related Phrases

• Cirrus plume: A dense, concentrated stream of cirrus cloud.

  • A cirrus plume streamed from the top of the thunderstorm.

• To be veiled in cirrus: To have the sky covered by a thin layer of cirrus clouds.

  • The mountain peaks were veiled in cirrus by midday.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a technical term from zoology and meteorology, 'cirrus' is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. Its usage is primarily literal and scientific.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. a slender flexible animal appendage as on barnacles or crinoids or many insects; often tactile
2. a wispy white cloud (usually of fine ice crystals) at a high altitude (4 to 8 miles)
3. usually coiled

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cirrus cloud
• cirrhus