skywriting

American  

[skahy-rahy-ting] / ˈskaɪˌraɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or technique of writing against the sky with chemically produced smoke released from a maneuvering airplane.

2. the words, letters, designs, etc., so traced.

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skywriting British  

/ ˈskaɪˌraɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. the forming of words in the sky by the release of smoke or vapour from an aircraft

2. the words so formed

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Other Word Forms

• skywriter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of skywriting

First recorded in 1920–25; sky + writing

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

skywriting

Friends pilot the plane that’s skywriting the words YAY, YOU! across your universe.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 16, 2022

During the album’s opening number, “White Dress,” she pirouettes across the upper edge of her vocal register, her airy falsetto evaporating into the space around her like a fleeting, soon-to-be-illegible piece of skywriting.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2021

In the late ‘80s, the late artist and poet David Antin used skywriting planes to produce a pair of “poems” in the skies over California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2018

That's a problem for the 35-year-old because his small skywriting businesses only really works in the air, and when Mr Trump's in town a 10-mile no-fly zone comes with him.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2017

“The kid’s about as gifted as a caterpillar. He brings home a B and it sets off six days of skywriting and fireworks.”

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman