Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ

Dec 16, 2003

This week's theme
Words from aviation

This week's words
canard
contrail
mach
empennage
aileron

---

contrail

noun: Streaks of condensed water vapor or ice crystals forming in the wake of an aircraft or rocket. Also known as vapor trail.

Blend of condensation + trail.

"Tiger Woods winning majors is just what golf needs. What follows his contrail is a series of events that pays off for everyone."
Thomas Bank; With No Tiger, It's Not Major Story; Los Angeles Times; Nov 20, 2003.

"After viewing Oliver Stone's JFK, a friend of mine said the conspiracy was so thick he started feeling guilty, wondering if he hadn't killed Kennedy himself. Anything was possible. Why are conspiracy theories so popular?
"And have you noticed, by any chance, the huge increase in contrails lately -- those fluffy white lines of seemingly innocuous ice crystals left behind by planes? I'm not the only one who's noticed. Enter 'chemtrails' into a search engine and you'll find a gazillion sites devoted to the conspiracy."
Lisa Moore; Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Nov 18, 2003.

X-Bonus