clouds

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of cloud.

   Heavy rain clouds rolled in from the west by midafternoon.

   Thin streaks of clouds caught the last light of the sunset.

   Note

   The plural is regular, formed with -s, and it shares its spelling with the verb form. Context decides which is meant: "the clouds gathered" is a noun, but "smoke clouds the room" is a verb. As a noun it usually counts visible masses of water droplets, dust, steam or smoke. An older meaning, a rock or hill, is obsolete, and a modern reader would not recognize it.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of cloud.

   Doubt clouds her every decision once the stakes get high.

   Steam from the kettle clouds the kitchen mirror in seconds.

   Note

   It follows a singular subject and works with or without an object. Without one, the subject itself grows dim: the mirror clouds, the sky clouds. With one, something else is dimmed: steam clouds the glass, or doubt clouds a person's judgment and makes it less sharp. The figurative uses lean toward mind and mood, so whatever clouds a face makes it gloomy or sullen.

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