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 heat dome will build in response to a large shift in the jet stream that’s also bringing a big cooldown to the West. — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

When water temperatures in the El Niño region heat up, the pattern links with the atmosphere, shifting trade winds, jet streams and other global weather systems. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 25 June 2026

On the other hand, El Niño causes the jet stream to move south and spread farther east. — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

During an El Niño, there are warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures that impact the upper air pattern, specifically looking at the Pacific jet stream. — Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 16 June 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