cloud nine
nounEtymology
The origin of sense 1 (“a state of bliss”) is uncertain; however, the following etymology has been suggested: * The first edition of the International Cloud Atlas (1896), which defined ten types of cloud, described the ninth type as the cumulonimbus which rises to 10 km (6.2 miles), the highest a cloud can be. Compare cloud seven (“state of complete happiness or euphoria”), which may have originated from confusion of cloud nine with seventh heaven. Sense 2 (“a state of fantastic or impractical dreaming or thinking”) may be due to a confusion between sense 1 and the phrase head in the clouds.
Definitions
Often in the phrase on cloud nine
Often in the phrase on cloud nine: a state of bliss, elation or happiness.
- He was on cloud nine for days after she agreed to marry him.
- Following a highly successful tour of Italy in July/August 1993, with recital and orchestral appearances and an especially inspiring last performance, I returned to New York on cloud nine and full of euphoria.
A state of fantastic or impractical dreaming or thinking.
- Members are living on cloud nine if they think that playing the stock-numbers game is doing anything for the farmers or the country.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for cloud nine. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA