what means "low ceilling means in "The old man at the bridge"?

Question

The line comes from The Old Man At The Bridge By Ernest Hemingway.Here is the line:

It was Easter Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro.It was a gray overcast day with a low ceiling so their planes were not up

DonCarpenter · Accepted Answer

Ceiling refers to “altitude of the base of a cloud layer” according to the OED.

Ceiling /ˈsiːlɪŋ  /
▸ noun

the upper interior surface of a room or other similar compartment:
the books were stacked from floor to ceiling.

an upper limit set on prices, wages, or expenditure:
the government imposed a wage ceiling of 3 per cent.
the maximum altitude that a particular aircraft can reach:
the aircraft's quoted ceiling of 24,000 feet.
the altitude of the base of a cloud layer.

Origin

Middle English (denoting the action of lining the interior of a room with plaster or panelling): from ceil + -ing1. ceiling (SENSE 1) dates from the mid 16th century.

what means "low ceilling means in "The old man at the bridge"?

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