altostratus cloud vs altostratus

altostratus cloud and altostratus both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
altostratus cloud	Yes	No	No	No
altostratus	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, altostratus cloud and altostratus are synonyms defined as:

altostratus cloud and altostratus: a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles

altostratus cloud (noun)	altostratus (noun)
a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles	a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles