cloud
B1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A visible mass of condensed water vapour or ice crystals floating in the atmosphere.
1. A state of gloom or suspicion; something that obscures. 2. A network of remote servers storing data or providing services over the internet (i.e., cloud computing).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's semantic field extends from the literal, meteorological phenomenon to abstract concepts of obscurity or digital technology.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or spelling.
Connotations
Similar across both varieties.
Frequency
The IT/tech sense ('cloud storage') is equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
cloud (N) - a rain cloudcloud of (NP) - a cloud of dustbe clouded by/with (NP) - The issue was clouded by legal jargon.verb: cloud (NP) - Her judgement was clouded by emotion.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on cloud nine”
- “have one's head in the clouds”
- “every cloud has a silver lining”
- “a cloud on the horizon”
- “under a cloud”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'We migrated our data to the cloud for better scalability.'
Academic
'The cloud chamber was used to detect ionising radiation.'
Everyday
'Look at those dark clouds; I think it's going to rain.'
Technical
'The cirrus cloud formation indicates a change in the upper atmosphere.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The steam clouded the bathroom mirror.
- Don't let anger cloud your judgement.
American English
- The controversy clouded his chances for reelection.
- Tears clouded her vision.
adjective
British English
- They offer a cloud backup solution.
- The cloud storage limit has been reached.
American English
- We need a cloud-based platform.
- The company is shifting to a cloud infrastructure.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The sky is blue and there are no clouds today.
- I can see a cloud that looks like a sheep.
- A dark cloud appeared, so we packed up our picnic quickly.
- She saved all her photos in the cloud.
- The allegations cast a cloud over the minister's reputation.
- Our IT strategy involves a hybrid cloud model.
- His thinking was clouded by prejudice, rendering his analysis flawed.
- The nebulous cloud of data points required sophisticated algorithms to interpret.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A CLOUD is LOUD with thunder and can COVER the sun like a COULD (homophone: could/would).
Conceptual Metaphor
OBSCURITY/UNCERTAINTY IS A CLOUD (e.g., 'cloud the issue', 'under a cloud of suspicion'), HAPPINESS IS BEING HIGH (e.g., 'on cloud nine'), DIGITAL STORAGE IS A CLOUD.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'cloud' as 'облачко' (diminutive) unless referring to a very small cloud. The standard equivalent is 'облако'.
- The idiom 'on cloud nine' does not correspond directly to any Russian idiom about clouds.
- The IT term 'cloud' is a direct loanword 'облако', but the full term is often 'облачные технологии' (cloud technologies).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'There is a big cloud on the sky.' Correct: 'There is a big cloud in the sky.'
- Incorrect plural for the IT sense: 'I use many clouds.' More natural: 'I use multiple cloud services.'
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'every cloud has a silver lining' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is usually countable ('white clouds'). It can be uncountable when referring to the general substance or in phrases like 'a sky full of cloud' (BrE) or 'cloud cover'.
'Cloud' is high in the sky. 'Fog' and 'mist' are clouds at ground level, with 'fog' being denser and reducing visibility more than 'mist'.
It originated from the use of a cloud symbol in network diagrams to represent the internet as an abstract, remote entity, leading to terms like 'cloud computing'.
Yes, it means to make something less clear or transparent, either literally (steam clouds a window) or figuratively (doubt clouds one's mind).
Collections
Part of a collection
Weather
A2 · 45 words · Describing the weather, climate and seasons.