Dual Enrollment Physical Science Midterm Practice Test 2026 - Free Physical Science Practice Questions and Study Guide

Cloud names often describe what they look like, and the term cirrus comes from Latin for curl or curl-like fringe. That curling, wispy appearance is exactly what cirrus clouds show high in the sky as delicate, hairline strands formed from ice crystals. The other cloud types carry meanings like heap (cumulus), layer (stratus), or associated with rain (nimbus), which don’t describe curling wisps. So the description “curl” fits cirrus best.