jet stream

American  

noun

1. strong, generally westerly winds concentrated in a relatively narrow and shallow stream in the upper troposphere of the earth.

2. similar strong winds in the atmosphere of another planet.

   jet streams on Jupiter.

3. the exhaust of a jet or rocket engine.

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jet stream British  

noun

1. meteorol a narrow belt of high-altitude winds (about 12 000 metres high) moving east at high speeds and having an important effect on frontogenesis

2. the jet of exhaust gases produced by a gas turbine, rocket motor, etc

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jet stream Scientific  

1. A narrow current of strong wind circling the Earth from west to east at altitudes of about 11 to 13 km (7 to 8 mi) above sea level. There are usually four distinct jet streams, two each in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Jet stream wind speeds average 56 km (34 mi) per hour in the summer and 120 km (74 mi) in the winter. They are caused by significant differences in the temperatures of adjacent air masses. These differences occur where cold, polar air meets warmer, equatorial air, especially in the latitudes of the westerlies.

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jet stream Cultural  

1. A narrow band of swiftly moving air found at very high altitudes.

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Discover More

Movements of the jet stream have important (but generally short-lived) effects on weather patterns.

Travel time in an airplane can be lengthened or shortened by the jet stream, depending on the direction of flight and the strength of the stream.

Etymology

Origin of jet stream

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jet stream

This causes a greater contrast with the warmer tropics which can fire up a more potent jet stream - the fast moving, narrow band of fast winds high in the atmosphere.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

So far this autumn, the jet stream - which determines what sort of air mass affects the UK - has been sitting to the north.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

But as the New York Times explains, El Niño shifts the Pacific jet stream south, which appears to help nor’easters form off the southeastern U.S. and travel up the Eastern Seaboard.

From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026

These high-pressure winds feed into the subtropical jet stream, giving an extra boost that propels it further east over North America, causing it to blow stronger and steadier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Thrust high into the jet stream, the mountain ripped a visible gash in the 120- knot hurricane, sending forth a plume of ice crystals that trailed to the east like a long silk scarf.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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