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jet lag

American  
Or jetlag

noun

  1. a temporary disruption of the body's normal biological rhythms after high-speed air travel through several time zones.


jet lag British  

noun

  1. a general feeling of fatigue and disorientation often experienced by travellers by jet aircraft who cross several time zones in relatively few hours

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

jet lag Scientific  
  1. A temporary disruption of normal circadian rhythm caused by high-speed travel across several time zones typically in a jet aircraft, resulting in fatigue, disorientation, and disturbed sleep patterns.


jet lag Cultural  
  1. A temporary disruption of the body's biological clock experienced by persons who travel across several time zones by airplane. The effects of jet lag, which may include fatigue and irritability, generally disappear after a few days as the body's internal rhythms readjust themselves to the new time frame.


Other Word Forms

  • jet-lagged adjective

Etymology

Origin of jet lag

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That’s great for an extra hour of sleep each night and no jet lag after the trip, but it was a bit confusing to wake up every day with different times on all our devices.

From The Wall Street Journal

And the biggest challenge for the man who has won nearly everything isn’t the rest of the field or a mild case of jet lag.

From The Wall Street Journal

And they showed no signs of jet lag.

From Los Angeles Times

Travis Hunter scored his first NFL touchdown but it was merely a consolation as the Los Angeles Rams brushed off jet lag to claim a 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley.

From BBC

In some cases, they have attributed reported health-effects from fume exposure to factors including hyperventilation, jet lag, psychological stress, mass hysteria and malingering.

From The Wall Street Journal