cumulonimbus

[ kyoo-myuh-loh-nim-buhs ]

noun

, Meteorology.

, plural cu·mu·lo·nim·bus.

1. a cloud of a class indicative of thunderstorm conditions, characterized by large, dense towers that often reach altitudes of 30,000 feet (9,000 meters) or more, cumuliform except for their tops, which appear fibrous because of the presence of ice crystals: occurs as a single cloud or as a group with merged bases and separate tops.

cumulonimbus

/ ˌkjuːmjʊləʊˈnɪmbəs /

noun

1. meteorol a cumulus cloud of great vertical extent, the top often forming an anvil shape and the bottom being dark coloured, indicating rain or hail: associated with thunderstorms

cumulonimbus

/ kyo̅o̅m′yə-lō-nĭm′bəs /

, Plural cumulonimbi kyo̅o̅m′yə-lō-nĭm′bī

1. An extremely dense, vertically developed cloud with a low, dark base and fluffy masses that tower to great heights. Cumulonimbus clouds usually produce heavy rains, thunderstorms, or hailstorms.
2. Also called thundercloud
3. See illustration at cloud

Word History and Origins

Origin of cumulonimbus¹

First recorded in 1885–90; cumulo- + nimbus

Example Sentences

Thunderstorms are powerful and complex phenomena, with air inside a cumulonimbus storm cloud moving rapidly upwards and downwards.

From BBC

Storms that create thunder, lightning and hail are only produced by cumulonimbus clouds.

From BBC

Within a cumulonimbus cloud, the updrafts and downdrafts of air moving inside can be very strong which bring severe turbulence.

From BBC

Cumulonimbus clouds producing thunder have very strong air currents - they can carry the same amount of energy as 10 Hiroshima-sized atom bombs.

From BBC

The compositions he produces for his fashion and design world clients — a column of billowy cream-and-orange poppies for the French fashion house Hermès; a three-foot-high mass of deep purple hydrangeas and clematis for the New York design gallery Jacqueline Sullivan — are often so tall and tightly packed that they resemble inverted cumulonimbus clouds.

From New York Times