1650s in biology, "having or resembling a tendril;" 1815 in meteorology, from Latin cirrus "lock of hair, tendril" (see cirrus) + -ous. Also sometimes cirrose.
Entries linking to cirrous
cirrus n.
1708, "curl-like fringe or tuft," from Latin cirrus "a lock of hair, tendril, curl, ringlet of hair; the fringe of a garment." In meteorology, in reference to light, fleecy clouds, attested from 1803; so called from fancied resemblance of shape.
-ous
word-forming element making adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, full of, having to do with, doing, inclined to," from Old French -ous, -eux, from Latin -osus (compare -ose (1)). In chemistry, "having a lower valence than forms expressed in -ic."