jet stream

noun

: a long narrow meandering current of high-speed winds near the tropopause blowing from a generally westerly direction and often exceeding a speed of 250 miles (402 kilometers) per hour

Examples of jet stream in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The farther east the storms sit, the more the jet stream and its storms are pulled toward California. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Strong El Niño events can alter atmospheric circulation and influence the jet stream. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

These changes can disturb the jet stream, the fast-moving westerly current of air in the atmosphere that helps steer weather systems around the Northern Hemisphere. — Yongkang Xue, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Both the hexagon and decagon sit on jet streams, but the hexagon is practically stationary whereas the decagon migrates eastward at a tame 6 mph (10 kph). — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jet stream

• abeam
• airstream
• bloodstream
• daydream
• downstream
• esteem
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream

Kids Definition

jet stream

noun

: a long narrow wandering current of high-speed winds blowing from a generally westerly direction several miles above the earth's surface