Meanings
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1
noun
a dense, white, rounded cloud with a flat base, formed by rising warm air
A darkening cumulus rose above the hills before the storm.
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2
noun
a heap, mound, or accumulation of things
A cumulus of ash and broken masonry filled the ruined courtyard.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin cumulus, 'heap or pile.' British meteorologist Luke Howard adopted the term in 1803 for clouds that rise in rounded heaps, creating the modern meteorological sense.