contrail

American  

[kon-treyl] / ˈkɒn treɪl /

noun

1. a visible condensation of water droplets or ice crystals from the atmosphere, occurring in the wake of an aircraft, rocket, or missile under certain conditions.

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contrail British  

/ ˈkɒntreɪl /

noun

1. another name for vapour trail

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Etymology

Origin of contrail

First recorded in 1940–45; con(densation) trail

Explanation

The white, smoke-like water vapor that follows the path of an airplane is called a contrail. On a clear summer day, you might see several contrails criss-crossing the blue sky. The next time you see the elongated, cloud-like lines in the sky that linger long after the plane that made them has disappeared, you'll know to call them contrails. They're caused by condensing water vapor from an airplane's exhaust. The word dates from 1945, a shortened version of "condensation trail," and they're sometimes also called "vapor trails."

Example Sentences

Aryan loved the roaring sound of the engine fill the air and then grow louder as the plane cruised above him, leaving behind chalky threads of contrail in the sky,

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

“We will need to add one more constraint to flight planning, which is avoiding areas of contrail formation.”

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2024

The plane passing over Montreal during the partial phase of the eclipse left a typical contrail in its wake.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2024

Another SpaceX launch a couple of weeks earlier had caused a stir with its eye-catching streak of light and contrail.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2024

The main screen showed Taiyang Shen's contrail wafting in the chilly Gobi sky.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir