blue jet
1
9.9
- noun
- /blu dʒɛt/
- Specialized
:
jet azul
- During intense thunderstorms, blue jets burst upward, illuminating the sky with their vibrant light.
Examples
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They're called things like blue jets and sprites and elves.
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As a spectacular display of nature, a blue jet can be seen shooting up from thunderclouds during a storm.
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Scientists study blue jets because they are fascinating electrical discharges that reach high altitudes.
Synonyms
9
9.9
A rare blue lightning that shoots up from storm clouds
A rare electric flash that travels upward from storm clouds
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the transparent adjective 'blue' (a color) with 'jet' (a rapid stream or burst), so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer something like a blue, jet-like discharge or streak. However, the term denotes a specific, technical atmospheric phenomenon (an upward electrical discharge from thundercloud tops into the stratosphere) and the precise scientific nature and directionality are specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone.
Etymology
Blue jet was named because it looks like a bright blue flash that quickly shoots up like a jet from the top of a thundercloud. So the name helps you remember it is a short, blue electrical 'burst' that moves upward above the clouds.