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cirrus Definition

cir·rus (sirəs)

noun

  1. pl. cirri′-ī′Biol.
    1. a plant tendril
    2. a flexible, threadlike tentacle or appendage, as the feelers of certain organisms
    3. a cone-shaped cluster of fused cilia, occurring in many species of infusorians
  2. pl. cir·rusMeteorol. the type of white cloud that resembles a wispy filament, found at high altitudes and consisting of ice crystals

Etymology: L, a lock, curl, tendril

cirrus Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • leave: Most low level cloud cleared away by mid afternoon leaving only cirrus, but returned from the W later.
  • call: Other ciliates have thick round bundles of cilia called cirri which act like legs and enable the organism to actually walk over a surface.
  • form: A few contrails forming cirrus drifting from the NE otherwise wall-to-wall sunshine, Valley reported { 12h } , the most in the UK.

Adjective modifier

  • high: This earlier photograph was taken following a day in which high cirrus had been seeded by aircraft trails.
  • thin: The weather here is glorious - another floor to ceiling blue sky, with some thin cirrus to color it in.
  • tropical: Deep convective clouds also produce large extensive anvils in the upper troposphere and are a major source of tropical cirrus.

Modifies a noun

  • cloud: A ring around the moon is caused by the high altitude cirrus clouds which precede low pressure systems bearing moisture.
  • overhead: The morning was sunny in smoke haze with frontal cloud still to the S and to the NE with a little cirrus overhead.
  • logic: Cirrus Logic is steadfastly optimistic about CobraNet's continuing role as a driving force behind the growth of the digital audio networking market.
  • formation: In some cases ( e.g. cirrus formation; chemistry of nitrogen oxides ), the basic science of the relevant processes is poorly understood.
  • card: Credit cards and Cirrus cards can be used in a number of cashpoint machines.
  • contamination: This provides a global measure of cirrus contamination, especially at 100 microns.

Noun used with modifier

  • level: The mornings briefing was for thickening high level Cirrus as the day progressed but a short soaring window before it got here.
  • okta: There was hazy sunshine through 5 oktas cirrus clouds and visibility was good.
  • stream: The sky partially cleared during the morning revealing jet stream cirrus and there were some good sunny spells that lasted into early afternoon.

Browse dictionary entries near cirrus

  1. cirrostratus
  2. cirrose
  3. cirrocumulus
  4. cirro-
  5. cirriped
  6. cirriform
  7. cirri
  8. cirrhosis
  9. cirrate
  10. cirque
  1. cirsoid
  2. CIS
  3. cis-
  4. cisalpine
  5. cisatlantic
  6. cisco
  7. Cisco Systems, Inc.
  8. Ciskei
  9. cislunar
  10. cismontane