Meanings
plural contrails
- An artificial cloud made by the exhaust of jet aircraft or wingtip vortices that precipitate a stream of tiny ice crystals in moist, frigid upper air.
Synonyms: condensation trail, vapor trail, jet stream, cirrus aviaticus, cirrus tractus
present singular third person contrails · participle present contrailing · participle past contrailed · past contrailed
- intransitiveTo produce an artificial cloud of this kind.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn artificial cloud made by the exhaust of jet aircraft or wingtip vortices that precipitate a stream of tiny ice crystals in moist, frigid upper air.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan artificial cloud created by an aircraft; caused either by condensation due to the reduction in air pressure above the wing surface or by water vapor in the engine exhaust
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Blend of condensation + trail.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech kondenzační stopa
- kondenzační stopaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Finnish tiivistymisjuova, tiivistymisvana
- tiivistymisjuovaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- tiivistymisvanaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- jättövanaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
French traînée de condensation, traînée de vapeur
- traînée de condensationartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- traînée de vapeurartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- traînée blancheartificial cloud from jet aircraft
German Kondensstreifen
- Kondensstreifenartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Hungarian kondenzcsík
- kondenzcsíkartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Icelandic flugslóði, flugvélarslóði
- flugslóðiartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- flugvélarslóðiartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Italian scia di condensazione
- scia di condensazioneartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Japanese 飛行機雲
- 飛行機雲 (hikōkigumo)artificial cloud from jet aircraft
Korean 비행기구름
- 비행기구름 (bihaenggigureum)artificial cloud from jet aircraft
Malay jejak wap, kontrail
- jejak wapartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- kontrailartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Polish smuga kondensacyjna
- smuga kondensacyjnaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Russian конденсационный след
- конденсационный следartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Spanish estela de condensación, estela condensada
- estela de condensaciónartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- estela condensadaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- estela condensativaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- estela condensacionalartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Swedish kondensationsstrimma, k-strimma
- kondensationsstrimmaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
- k-strimmaartificial cloud from jet aircraft
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
contrail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrail
“contrail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrail. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrail,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrail.
Source: contrail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.