trade-wind cumulus

trade-wind cumulus

[′trād ¦wind ‚kyü·myə·ləs] (meteorology) The characteristic cumulus cloud of the trade winds over the oceans in average, undisturbed weather conditions; the individual cloud usually exhibits a blocklike appearance since its vertical growth ends abruptly in the lower stratum of the trade-wind inversion; a group of fully grown clouds shows considerable uniformity in size and shape. Also known as trade cumulus.