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
When using the predictions, pilots were able to reduce the total contrail distance by 54%.
—
Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024
But the thermal effect of contrails is a separate phenomenon, distinct from aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 12 Sep. 2024
The comet's display is expected to resemble that of an airplane contrail extending up and to the right.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
The test indicated that some atmospheric zones create contrails, enabling pilots to avoid them.
—Ted Reed, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrail 
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.
Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024
But the thermal effect of contrails is a separate phenomenon, distinct from aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 12 Sep. 2024
The comet's display is expected to resemble that of an airplane contrail extending up and to the right.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
The test indicated that some atmospheric zones create contrails, enabling pilots to avoid them.
—Ted Reed, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrail
Dictionary Entries Near contrail
Cite this Entry
“Contrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrail. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share