ScienceAugust 8, 2026

contrail

KON-treyl

Definition

A trail of condensed water vapor resembling a white streak that forms behind an aircraft at high altitude.

Etymology

The word is a portmanteau formed by combining 'condensation' and 'trail'. It was coined in the mid-20th century to describe the visible exhaust clouds produced by jet engines.

In the news

The author uses the word to describe how infrequent and unobtrusive flights over Sonoma County used to be, appearing as nothing more than a faint streak in the sky. This serves to highlight how drastically the frequency and noise levels of air traffic have increased.

Close to Home: Why does airplane noise in west Sonoma County matter in the first place?

Read the full article ↗

The Press Democrat

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