2 N‑COUNT A cloud of something such as smoke or dust is a mass of it floating in the air. □ [+ of ] The hens darted away on all sides, raising a cloud of dust.
3 VERB If you say that something clouds your view of a situation, you mean that it makes you unable to understand the situation or judge it properly. □ [V n] Perhaps anger had clouded his vision, perhaps his judgment had been faulty. □ [V n] In his latter years religious mania clouded his mind.
4 VERB If you say that something clouds a situation, you mean that it makes it unpleasant. □ [be V -ed + by ] His last years were clouded by financial difficulties.
5 VERB If glass clouds or if moisture clouds it, tiny drops of water cover the glass, making it difficult to see through. □ [V ] The mirror clouded beside her cheek. □ [V n] I run the water very hot, clouding the mirror.
6 ADJ Cloud-based technology allows you to use programs and information that are stored on the internet rather than on your own computer. □ We use a cloud-based communication system.
7 PHRASE If you say that someone is on cloud nine , you are emphasizing that they are very happy. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ When Michael was born I was on cloud nine.
8 every cloud has a silver lining → see silver lining
▸ cloud over PHRASAL VERB If the sky clouds over , it becomes covered with clouds. □ [V P ] After a fine day, the sky had clouded over and suddenly rain lashed against the windows. COLLOCATIONS cloud NOUN
1
noun + cloud : rain, storm
adjective + cloud : black, dark, grey, white; billowing, fluffy, thick
2
noun + cloud : ash, dust
cloud|burst /klaʊ dbɜː r st/ (cloudbursts ) N‑COUNT A cloudburst is a sudden, very heavy fall of rain.
cloud com|pu |ting N‑UNCOUNT Cloud computing is a model of computer use in which services that are available on the internet are provided to users on a temporary basis. [COMPUTING ]
clou d-cu ckoo-land N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If you say that someone is living in cloud-cuckoo-land , you are criticizing them because they think there are no problems and that things will happen exactly as they want them to, when this is obviously not the case. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I was living in cloud-cuckoo-land about my salary expectations.
cloud|less /klaʊ dləs/ ADJ If the sky is cloudless , there are no clouds in it.
cloudy /klaʊ di/ (cloudier , cloudiest )
1 ADJ If it is cloudy , there are a lot of clouds in the sky. □ …a windy, cloudy day.
2 ADJ A cloudy liquid is less clear than it should be.
clout /klaʊ t/ (clouts , clouting , clouted )
1 VERB If you clout someone, you hit them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Rachel clouted him. □ [V n + on ] The officer clouted her on the head. ● N‑COUNT Clout is also a noun. □ I was half tempted to give one of them a clout myself.
2 N‑UNCOUNT A person or institution that has clout has influence and power. [INFORMAL ] □ This former TV actress already has the clout to alter movie screenplays.
clove /kloʊ v/ (cloves )
1 N‑VAR Cloves are small dried flower buds used as a spice. □ …chicken soup with cloves.
2 N‑COUNT A clove of garlic is one of the sections of a garlic bulb.
clo|ven hoof /kloʊ v ə n huː f/ (cloven hooves or cloven hoofs ) N‑COUNT Animals that have cloven hooves have feet that are divided into two parts. Cows, sheep, and goats have cloven hooves.
clo|ver /kloʊ və r / (clovers ) N‑VAR Clover is a small plant with pink or white ball-shaped flowers. □ …a four-leaf clover.
clown /klaʊ n/ (clowns , clowning , clowned )
1 N‑COUNT A clown is a performer in a circus who wears funny clothes and bright make-up, and does silly things in order to make people laugh.
2 VERB If you clown , you do silly things in order to make people laugh. □ [V ] Bruno clowned and won affection everywhere. ● PHRASAL VERB Clown around and clown about mean the same as clown . □ [V P ] Bev made her laugh, the way she was always clowning around. ● clown|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ She senses that behind the clowning there is a terrible sense of anguish.
3 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a clown , you mean that they say funny things or do silly things to amuse people. □ He was laughing, the clown of the twosome.
4 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a clown , you disapprove of them and have no respect for them. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I still think I could do a better job than those clowns in Washington.
clown|fish /klaʊ nf I ʃ/ (clownfish ) N‑COUNT A clownfish is a small, brightly-coloured sea fish.
clown|ish /klaʊ n I ʃ/ ADJ If you describe a person's appearance or behaviour as clownish , you mean that they look or behave rather like a clown, and often that they appear rather foolish. □ He had a clownish sense of humour.
cloy|ing /klɔ I I ŋ/ ADJ You use cloying to describe something that you find unpleasant because it is much too sweet, or too sentimental. □ Her cheap, cloying scent enveloped him.
cloze /kloʊ z/ (clozes ) N‑COUNT [usu N n] In language teaching, a cloze test is a test in which words are removed from a text and replaced with spaces. The learner has to fill each space with a suitable word. [TECHNICAL ]