also: まきぐも
noun
cirrus cloud
A high-altitude, wispy cloud made of ice crystals. Used in meteorological contexts.
空に巻雲が広がっている。
Cirrus clouds are spreading across the sky.
Rare variant; 絹 means 'silk', referring to the cloud's wispy appearance.
Alternate form using the kun-reading まきぐも; less common in technical contexts.
From 巻 (けん, 'roll' or 'curl') + 雲 (うん, 'cloud'), describing the curled, wispy appearance of cirrus clouds.