chemtrail

American  

[kem-treyl] / ˈkɛmˌtreɪl /

noun

1. an alleged type of long-lasting contrail speculated to be purposefully impregnated, for covert purposes, with chemical or biological agents.

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Etymology

Origin of chemtrail

First recorded in 1985–90; chem(ical) ( def. ) + trail ( def. ), modeled on contrail ( def. )

Example Sentences

Tune in for the alien angle, or the chemtrail pitch after the weather.

From Salon

But the idea evolved along the way, meaning today there are several strands of the chemtrail theory.

From BBC

Like other conspiracy theorists, chemtrail enthusiasts also latch on to news events to push their agenda, for instance in messages like this posted during the recent UK heatwave:

From BBC

When Williamson talks about poisoning our environment with chemicals that are harmful to human health, she’s not talking about some kind of chemtrail conspiracy.

From Slate

Over the past decade or so, I’ve been harassed by people who believe in the ‘chemtrail’ conspiracy theory — which proposes that long-lasting condensation trails left behind by aircraft are evidence that governments deliberately spray chemicals for nefarious purposes.

From Nature