contrail

noun

con·​trail ˈkän-ˌtrāl 

: streaks of condensed water vapor created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes

Examples of contrail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That 1 % to 5% would be enough to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in contrail formation on an airspace-scale, said Paul Hodgson, Google’s technical lead for Operation Blue Skies. — Jennifer McDermott, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

This new effort expands on individual airline trials to try mitigating contrails across an entire flight corridor. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

That 1% to 5% would be enough to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in contrail formation on an airspace-scale, said Paul Hodgson, Google’s technical lead for Operation Blue Skies. — Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Researchers are studying new liquid hydrocarbon chemistries that could improve fuel economy, reduce harmful aromatics, improve local air quality near airports, and limit contrail formation. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

condensation trail

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contrail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

contrail

noun

con·​trail ˈkän-ˌtrāl 

: a stream of visible water or ice particles created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes