Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, dark cloud that produces thunder and lightning: A "thundercloud" is a tall, dense, and dark cloud, typically with a flat base and a towering, anvil-shaped top, which is electrically charged and associated with thunderstorms.

Usage

• The word "thundercloud" is used to describe the specific type of cloud from which thunderstorms originate. It emphasizes the cloud's ominous appearance and its potential to produce severe weather.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., a thundercloud, thunderclouds).

Examples

• Noun:
  • A massive thundercloud loomed on the horizon, promising a fierce storm.
  • The pilots carefully navigated around the towering thunderclouds.
  • The dark underside of the thundercloud was a warning to seek shelter.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a face like a thundercloud": This idiom describes someone who looks very angry or threatening.
  • He walked into the meeting with a face like a thundercloud.

Variants and Related Words

• Cumulonimbus cloud (n): The scientific meteorological term for a thundercloud.
• Storm cloud (n): A more general term for a dark cloud that brings stormy weather, which may or may not produce thunder and lightning.

Synonyms

• Storm cloud: A cloud that brings or signals a storm.
• Cumulonimbus: The technical term for the cloud type.

Related Idioms

• "Every cloud has a silver lining": This common proverb means that there is a positive aspect to every bad situation. While not containing the word "thundercloud," it is a related idiom about clouds.
  • Even the darkest thundercloud has a silver lining.

Noun

1. a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms