Dictionary

cirrus en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɪɹəs/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsɪɹaɪ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin cirrus (“curl; fringe of clothes; mane (especially forelock) of a horse; etc”); further etymology unknown. Sense 2 (“type of cloud”) was coined by the British chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard (1772–1864): see the 1803 quotation. The plural form cirri is also a learned borrowing from Latin cirrī, the nominative or vocative plural of cirrus.

Meanings

1. Synonym of tendril (“a thin, spirally coiling stem that attaches a plant to its support”).
   • Cirri are taken for thoſe fine Strings, or Hairs, by vvhich ſome Plants faſten themſelves, in order to their Support in creeping along; as Ivy, &c. 1706, Edward Phillips, compiler, J[ohn] K[ersey the younger], “Cirrus”, in The New World of Words: Or, Universal English Dictionary. […], 6th edition, London: […] J. Phillips, […]; N. Rhodes, […]; and J. Taylor, […], →OCLC, signature [R3], verso, column 1:
2. A thin tendril-like appendage, such as a barbel (“whisker-like sensory organ around the mouth”) of some fish, a cilium of some species of protists, or a foot of some crustaceans of the infraclass Cirripedia.
   • All creatures which have their skins protected, whether by feathers, or shells, or scales, have an exquisite touch in their mouth, or in the appendages which hang from it. Fishes have cirri which hang from their mouth, and these are equivalent to the feelers or tentacula of insects and crustaceans. 1833, Charles Bell, “The Substitution of Other Organs for the Hand”, in The Hand: Its Mechanism and Vital Endowments as Evincing Design, London: William Pickering, →OCLC, page 130:
   • Each foot is divided into two parts, one dorsal, the other ventral, and each part has a bundle of subulate bristles and a cirrus. 1828, John Stark, “II.—Mollusca. Class IV. Cirripeda. Order II.—Antennatæ.”, in Elements of Natural History, Adapted to the Present State of the Science, […], volume II (Invertebrata, &c.), Edinburgh: Adam Black and John Stark; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, →OCLC, page 135:
3. (obsolete) A tuft of ornamental feathers.
4. (obsolete) A long, thin, wirelike tail feather.
5. (attributive, often) A principal high-level type of cloud, typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands.
   • Cirrus clouds moving from the southwest indicate falling temperature; moving from the northwest they indicate the probability of rising temperature. They are the mares' tales and cattails of sailors' cant. Near the horizon, cirrus clouds may have a stratiform appearance. 1921, Jacques W[ardlaw] Redway, “The Moisture of the Air: Fog and Cloud”, in Handbook of Meteorology: A Manual for Cooperative Observers and Students, New York, N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons; London; Chapman & Hall, →OCLC, part I (General Principles), page 75:
   • He looked at the sky and saw the white cumulus built like friendly piles of ice cream and high above where the thin feathers of the cirrus against the high September sky. 1952 September 1, Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 61:
   • [page 99] Cirrus. […] Parallel, flexuous, or diverging fibres, extensible in any or in all directions. […] [page 100] In fair weather, with light variable breezes, the sky is seldom quite clear of small groups of the oblique cirrus, which frequently come on from the leeward, and the direction of their increase is to windward. 1803 July, Luke Howard, “XVIII. On the Modifications of Clouds, and on the Principles of Their Production, Suspension, and Destruction; being the Substance of an Essay Read before the Askesian Society in the Session 1802–3.”, in Alexander Tilloch, editor, The Philosophical Magazine and Journal: Comprehending the Various Branches of Science, the Liberal and Fine Arts, Agriculture, Manufactures, and Commerce, volume XVI, number 62, London: […] [Richard Taylor] for Alexander Tilloch; and sold by Messrs. Richardson, […], →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 99 and 100:
   • The blue sky is glossy and fat with heat, a few thin cirri sheared to blown strands like hair at the rims. 1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 15:

Forms

Deriveds

cirrus-bag · cirro- · cirral

Hyponyms

cirrus aviaticus (types of clouds) · cirrocumulus (types of clouds) · cirrostratus (types of clouds) · false cirrus (types of clouds) · cirrus tractus (types of clouds) · stratocirrus (types of clouds)

Relateds

cirrigerous · cirrocumulus · cirrigrade · cirriferous · cirrated · cirrhopod · cirripede · cirrous · cirriped · cirrostratus · cirropodous · cirriform · cirrate · cirrhose

Synonyms

Ci · tendril

Translations (110)

de Federwolke (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · uk або пір'ясті (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · hy փետրավոր ամպեր (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · pt cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · fr cirre (thin tendril-like appendage) · ru у́сик (thin tendril-like appendage) · gl cirro (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · tr sirüs (thin tendril-like appendage) · cmn 卷雲 /卷云 (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nl windveer (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · pt cirro (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · eu zirru (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · es cirro (thin tendril-like appendage) · es cirro (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · el θύσανος (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · tr sirüs (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sh cȋrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ru пе́ристый (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ro cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sl cirus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sv cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nb fjærsky (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ca cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ga ciorras (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · it cirro (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · et kiudpilv (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ast cirru (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · bg перест облак (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · la nubes cirra (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · uk перисті (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · is vatnsklær (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sv cirrusmoln (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · is klósigar (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ca cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · fi cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · mr तंतुमेघ (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · it cirro (thin tendril-like appendage) · es cirro (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · csb cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nl cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · id awan sirus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sw wingu vundevunde (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · lt plunksniniai debesys (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nl vederwolk (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sv fjädermoln (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · be перыстыя воблакі (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · mn циррус үүл (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · hu pehelyfelhő (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · kk шарбы бұлттар (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ja すじ雲 (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · es cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · fa ابر پرسان (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · fr cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · gl cirro (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · war cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · lv spalvu mākonis (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · th เซอร์รัส (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ru отро́сток (thin tendril-like appendage) · de Cirruswolke (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sq ciruset (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · mi pūrehurehu (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ja 巻雲 (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · mk цирус (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · is blikufjaðrir (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sk cirus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nl cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · hi पक्षाभ (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nn cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · pl chmura pierzasta (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · af cirruswolk (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ro cirus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ca cirrus (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · pl cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · la cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · cy cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · lmo cirro (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · is blikutrefjar (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ko 권운 (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · de Zirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nap cirr (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · oc cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · eo ciruso (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nb cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · mi iorangi (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · zu amayezi (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · eo ĉiro (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · ar ذُؤَابَة (thin tendril-like appendage) · ru пе́ристое о́блако (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · de Cirrus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · he צירוס (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · de Cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · yue 卷雲 /卷云 (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · be перкаватыя воблакі (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · nv kʼos áłtʼą́ą́ʼí (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · vi mây ti (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ms awan sirus (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · pt cirro (synonym of tendril (cognates) — see also tendril) · mi pūrerehu (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ko 극모 (thin tendril-like appendage) · tl ruruking alapaap (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · grc θύσανος (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · ar طَخَاء (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · fi cirrus (thin tendril-like appendage) · da cirrussky (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · it cirro (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · co cirru (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · cs řasa (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · fi untuvapilvi (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · sh ци̑рус (type of cloud typically composed of thin, delicate, white filaments or wisps, or narrow bands) · gl cirro (thin tendril-like appendage)