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

Study co-author and project scientist John Dykema suggests that the large coagulated smoke particles could affect atmospheric circulation through local heating, potentially shifting jet streams. —Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025

Now, the jet stream is about to smooth out and take a more level west-to-east path across the country. —Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

These factors then can combine to push the wave-like jet stream above North America farther north into parts of western Canada, causing storms to curve down into the Great Lakes region. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Dec. 2025

First, instead of moving storms quickly eastward, the sluggish jet stream stalled storm systems in place, causing prolonged downpours and flash flooding. —Shuang-Ye Wu, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 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