thunderhead
noun
thun·der·head
| \ ˈthən-dər-ˌhed
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Definition of thunderhead
: a rounded mass of cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud often appearing before a thunderstorm
Examples of thunderhead in a Sentence
A thunderhead was forming to the west.
Recent Examples on the Web
Towering thunderheads may be commonplace closer to the equator this time of year, but just 300 miles from the North Pole? — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Rare Lightning Strikes Detected 300 Miles From North Pole," 14 Aug. 2019 Dr Price suspects that in his experiment the surface of the inner cylinder is taking on the role played in a thunderhead by water’s solid phase, ice. — The Economist, "How to wring power from the night air," 1 Aug. 2019 The thunderhead clouds were expected to give way by Sunday morning, but temperatures in the mountains were expected to hit 93 degrees on Sunday and Monday before dropping on Tuesday. — Pauline Repard, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Flash flood warning issued for Mount Laguna," 13 July 2019 Lightning strikes, and the last rays of the day struggle to penetrate an ominous thunderhead. — Anne Farrar, National Geographic, "Here’s why everyone is going to Portugal now," 18 June 2019 Most of the books take place in the prolonged twilight of the 1930s, when war loomed like a distant thunderhead. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: A Memorial Tablet in Viale Cavour," 21 Dec. 2018 Forest fires under black thunderheads that paid out no rain. — Smith Henderson, Popular Mechanics, "Olympia," 20 Nov. 2017 Puffs of thunderhead smoke rising between tower blocks. — Louise Doughty, New York Times, "A War Correspondent Comes Home, Bringing War With Her," 20 Apr. 2018 On ordinary days, a pleasant wisp of white or a menacing thunderhead serve a more pedestrian preoccupation, a pragmatic barometer for how to dress or where to go. — Amy Ellis Nutt, Washington Post, "From cloud nine to climate change, here’s why you should always look up," 7 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thunderhead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for thunderhead
thunderhead
noun
English Language Learners Definition of thunderhead
chiefly US
: a very large cloud appearing before a thunderstorm
See the full definition for thunderhead in the English Language Learners Dictionary
thunderhead
noun
thun·der·head
| \ ˈthən-dər-ˌhed
\
\
Kids Definition of thunderhead
: a rounded mass of dark cloud with white edges often appearing before a thunderstorm