contrail

noun

con·​trail ˈkän-ˌtrāl How to pronounce contrail (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What if cancer could be caught not through imaging or invasive exams but through its molecular contrails in the blood? Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 Depending on the altitude, fuel, and engine efficiency pre jet planes sometimes did leave contrails. Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025 The sky over the Atlantic is crowded now with contrails. David Rooney june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025 It's even claimed to reduce the creation of contrails, which will please some conspiracy theorists. David Szondy may 16, New Atlas, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for contrail

Word History

Etymology

condensation trail

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contrail was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Contrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrail. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

contrail

noun
con·​trail ˈkän-ˌtrāl How to pronounce contrail (audio)
: a stream of visible water or ice particles created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes

More from Merriam-Webster on contrail

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