Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stratus

/ˈstɹeɪtəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables: stra-tus
IPA: /ˈstɹeɪtəs/

7

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A principal, low-level cloud type in the form of a gray layer with a rather uniform base, usually not associated with precipitation, and capable of producing corona phenomena and a weak, uniform luminance.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[page 99] Stratus. […] A widely extended, continuous, horizontal sheet, increasing from below. […] [page 357] When a stratus covers the ground at sun-rise, however, we often see it collect into cumuli upon the evaporation of that part of it which is immediately contiguous to the earth: […]"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ster- Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *str̥h₃tós Proto-Italic *strātos Latin stratuslbor. English stratus Learned borrowing from Latin strātus (“spread or stretched out”). Coined by the British chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard (1772–1864): see the 1803 quotation. Doublet of strath.

Word Breakdown

Root: *sterh₃-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈstɹeɪtəs/
British English: /ˈstɹeɪtəs/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

strati (plural)

Derived Forms

cirrostratus cumulostratus

Phrases

stratus fractus

Synonyms

St stratus cloud

Rhymes With

status apparatus lattice gratis batus hiatus comitatus cincinnatus meatus quadratus latus flatus

Questions

How do you pronounce stratus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɹeɪtəs/.
What does stratus mean?: A principal, low-level cloud type in the form of a gray layer with a rather uniform base, usually not associated with precipitation, and capable of producing corona phenomena and a weak, uniform luminance.
Where does stratus come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ster- Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *str̥h₃tós Proto-Italic *strātos Latin stratuslbor. English stratus Learned borrowing from Latin strātus (“spread or stretched out”). Coined by the British chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard (1772–1864): see the 1803 quotation. Doublet of strath.

How to pronounce stratus

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “stratus”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈstɹeɪtəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “stratus”.
Repeat and practice — Say “stratus” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.