jet
noun
a stream of a liquid, gas, or small solid particles forcefully shooting forth from a nozzle, orifice, etc.
jet
1 American
[jet]
/ dʒɛt /
noun
-
a stream of a liquid, gas, or small solid particles forcefully shooting forth from a nozzle, orifice, etc.
-
something that issues in such a stream, as water or gas.
-
a spout or nozzle for emitting liquid or gas.
a gas jet.
verb (used without object)
-
jets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jetted,
past participle, past
-
jetting
present participle
-
to travel by jet plane.
to jet to Las Vegas for the weekend.
-
to move or travel by means of jet propulsion.
The octopus jetted away from danger.
-
to be shot forth in a stream.
-
to move or travel rapidly.
The star halfback jetted toward the goal line.
verb (used with object)
-
jets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jetted,
past participle, past
-
jetting
present participle
-
to transport by jet plane.
The nonstop service from New York will jet you to Tokyo in 13 hours.
-
to shoot (something) forth in a stream; spout.
-
to place (a pile or the like) by eroding the ground beneath it with a jet of water or of water and compressed air.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or associated with a jet, jet engine, or jet plane.
jet pilot; jet exhaust.
-
in the form of or producing a jet or jet propulsion.
jet nozzle.
-
by means of a jet plane.
a jet trip; jet transportation.
jet
2
American
[jet]
/ dʒɛt /
noun
-
a compact black coal, susceptible of a high polish, used for making beads, jewelry, buttons, etc.
-
a deep black.
-
Obsolete. black marble.
adjective
-
consisting or made of jet.
-
of the color jet; black as jet.
jet
1
British
/ dʒɛt /
noun
-
a thin stream of liquid or gas forced out of a small aperture or nozzle
-
an outlet or nozzle for emitting such a stream
-
a jet-propelled aircraft
-
astronomy a long thin feature extending from an active galaxy and usually observed at radio wavelengths
verb
-
to issue or cause to issue in a jet
water jetted from the hose
he jetted them with water
-
to transport or be transported by jet aircraft
jet
2
British
/ dʒɛt /
noun
JET
3
British
/ dʒɛt /
acronym
jet
Scientific
/ jĕt /
-
A rapid stream of liquid or gas forced through a small opening or nozzle under pressure.
-
An aircraft or other vehicle propelled by one or more jet engines.
-
A jet engine.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
jetsimple
-
jetssimple
-
have jettedperfect
-
has jettedperfect
-
am jettingprogressive
-
are jettingprogressive
-
is jettingprogressive
-
have been jettingperfect progressive
-
has been jettingperfect progressive
Past
-
jettedsimple
-
had jettedperfect
-
was jettingprogressive
-
were jettingprogressive
-
had been jettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jet1
First recorded in 1660–70; 1940–45 jet 1 for def. 4; from Middle French jeter “to throw,” from unrecorded Vulgar Latin jectāre, from Latin jactus, past participle of jacere “to throw”
Origin of jet2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English jet(e), get(e), from Old French jaiet, gaiet, from Latin gagātēs, from Greek (líthos) gagā́tēs “Gagatic (stone),” named after Gágai, town in Lycia
Explanation
A jet is an airplane that can rapidly travel long distances. To jet is the act of getting somewhere quickly, by jet or any other way, as in, "Do you see what time it is? We better jet!" A jet is an aircraft that gets its power from jet engines rather than propellers. Jets are fast — that's probably why as a verb, jet means "to move quickly," either by taking a jet, like the celebrities who jet around the world, or the more ordinary "if I don't jet, I'll be late for school." Dishwashers and certain kinds of tubs have jets, tiny openings that push water out with great force. The streams of water are also called, you guessed it, jets.
Vocabulary lists containing jet
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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.
See Examples For:
Late last month in Denver, ICE officers arrested a woman on a jet bridge for a Southwest flight, an incident that was recorded on video and drew media attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon," he said in a video onboard a private jet and posted on social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“A bad reputation is better than no reputation,” said Pepper Rutland, the Tigers booster who provided the jet that whisked Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Heated stone floors and a circadian-rhythm-based lighting system to ease jet lag: These are among the ultraluxury amenities coming to Bond, a new members’ club offering access to private jets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“What is that noise? Is that a jet? Are you at the airport?”
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Once the experiments end, scientists will still have a lot to learn from JET.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2023
Last month, the 40-year-old JET started its final run of experiments before it is switched off for good at the end of the year.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 7, 2023
Under the terms of JET, the country could, in theory, achieve "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050, offering a blueprint for other developing nations looking to go green.
From BBC ● May 23, 2023
The acquisition gives JET a foothold in the U.S. market, but the newly merged company is already facing pressure to sell off Grubhub as JET’s stock continues to tumble on the Amsterdam stock exchange.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022
JET There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory.
From Shakespeare and Precious Stones Treating of the Known References of Precious Stones in Shakespeare's Works, with Comments as to the Origin of His Material, the Knowledge of the Poet Concerning Precious Stones, and References as to Where the Precious Stones of His Time Came from by Kunz, George Frederick
Japanese jets scrambled 595 times in the year to March 31, 2026, including 366 sorties against Chinese aircraft and 214 for Russian planes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Anduril has steadily expanded into nearly all facets of defense contracting, from jets to submarines and counterdrone systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Flexjet currently has 340 jets in its network, and NetJets, more than 1,100.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Ortberg told analysts last week he did not foresee problems with Boeing's supply chain in lifting monthly MAX production to 52 jets.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
There are no jacuzzi bathtubs with massage jets or stone gargoyles guarding the front door.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
US President Donald Trump jetted into Malaysia on Sunday to oversee the signing of a Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire pact, after deadly cross-border clashes between the countries flared this summer.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025
And a special guest jetted in all the way from Colombia to be there.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., Fisher even jetted back to his home in Park City, Utah, between events, before returning to the trials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2025
And it has opened up a market for China, whose trade officials jetted to Brasilia just hours after Trump published his edict.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2025
He jetted forward like an eel through water, bending his body around them and positioning his torso between them and the exit while his legs ran to catch up.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
Once again Rutte stepped in -- jetting to Washington to see Trump.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Had he made that announcement a few hours earlier, maybe Congress could have passed some sort of brief extension before jetting off.
From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026
For many travelers on a budget, Spirit, like fellow discounter and one-time merger partner Frontier, was the difference between jetting off on vacation or staying closer to home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Once seated and locked in, it nearly immediately takes off, jetting riders into a darkened hallway with white lights before injecting them into a Lego galaxy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
Henry and Luxa were flying ahead of him, jetting across the river.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
