stratus

American  

[strey-tuhs, strat-uhs] / ˈstreɪ təs, ˈstræt əs /

noun

plural

strati

1. a cloud of a class characterized by a gray, horizontal layer with a uniform base, found at a lower altitude than altostratus, usually below 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).

---

stratus British  

/ ˈstreɪtəs /

noun

1. a grey layer cloud Compare cirrus cumulus

---

stratus Scientific  

/ străt′əs,strā′təs /

plural

strati

1. A diffuse, grayish cloud that often produces drizzle and is formed primarily in altitudes no higher than 2,000 m (6,560 ft). A stratus cloud close to the ground or water is called fog.

2. See illustration at cloud

---

Etymology

Origin of stratus

1795–1805; < Latin strātus; stratum

Example Sentences

Also note the opposing flow of the marine stratus working northward with the convective debris clouds moving southwest towards the coast.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2023

Brilliant red, orange and scarlet sunsets often take place in the presence of higher cirrus or altocumulus clouds instead of low-level clouds such as stratus or stratocumulus.

From Washington Post • Apr. 13, 2023

I'd started therapy again during a particularly gray stretch of weather; flat, uniform stratus clouds hung in the sky, seemingly insulating us from sun, rain, snow or any variety, really.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2023

The National Weather Service’s San Diego station said some drizzle occurred Tuesday morning “from that thick layer of stratus near the coast.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2021

On the first of June, airplanes flyover the city, extremely high, crawling through the stratus clouds.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr