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nuée

swarm, dense cloud

noun nweh-EH Rare

Origin: Old French nue 'cloud', from Latin nubes

Also means

flock (of birds)

Usage Note

Nuée evokes a large, dense, moving mass — most often of insects, birds, or people. The volcanic term nuée ardente (literally 'burning cloud') refers to a fast-moving pyroclastic flow and is widely known from accounts of the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée in Martinique.

Examples

"Une nuée de moucherons envahit le jardin."

Natural Translation

A swarm of gnats invaded the garden.

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