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

Studies have shown that warmer air caused by carbon dioxide emissions is increasing instability in the jet stream and strengthening turbulence. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025

Some studies suggest that rising global temperatures may intensify wind shear in jet streams, potentially leading to more frequent or severe clear-air turbulence, but this is still speculative. —Jim Foerster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Large wildfires in Canada, like those burning now in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, create huge plumes of smoke that can enter the stratosphere and make their way to the Midwest in the jet stream. —Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025

The phenomenon is often caused by the behavior of a high-altitude river of wind called the jet stream. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 23 July 2025

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