air

¹

[ air ]

noun

1. a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of other gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere.
2. a stir in the atmosphere; a light breeze.
3. overhead space; sky:

   The planes filled the air.

4. circulation; publication; publicity:

   to give air to one's theories.

5. the general character or complexion of anything; appearance:

   His early work had an air of freshness and originality.

   Synonyms: aspect

6. the peculiar look, appearance, and bearing of a person:

   There is an air of mystery about him.

   Synonyms: attitude, aura, aspect, demeanor

7. airs, affected or unnatural manner; manifestation of pride or vanity; assumed haughtiness:

   He acquired airs that were insufferable to his friends.

8. Music.
   1. a tune; melody.
   2. the soprano or treble part.
   3. an aria.
   4. Also ayre. an Elizabethan art song.
9. aircraft as a means of transportation: to ship goods by air.

   to arrive by air;

   to ship goods by air.

10. Informal. air conditioning or an air-conditioning system:

    The price includes tires, radio, and air.

11. Sports.
    1. (during an airborne stunt) the height between the ground and an athlete or an athlete with their equipment:

       The BMX course was designed for riders to get good air.

    2. such a jump or other airborne stunt:

       The snowboarder took first place with four clean airs.

12. Radio. the medium through which radio waves are transmitted.
13. Archaic. breath.

verb (used with object)

1. to expose to the air; give access to the open air; ventilate (often followed by out ):

   We air the bedrooms every day.

2. to expose ostentatiously; bring to public notice; display:

   to air one's opinions;

   to air one's theories.

3. to broadcast or televise.

verb (used without object)

1. to be exposed to the open air (often followed by out ):

   Open the window and let the room air out.

2. to be broadcast or televised.

adjective

1. operating by means of air pressure or by acting upon air:

   an air drill;

   an air pump.

2. of or relating to aircraft or to aviation:

   air industry.

3. taking place in the air; aerial:

   air war.

air

²

[ air ]

adjective

1. early.

adverb

1. Obsolete. before; previously.

Aïr

³

[ ah-eer ]

noun

1. a region in northern Niger, in the Sahara: low massif and oases. About 30,000 sq. mi. (77,700 sq. km).

air

¹

/ ɛə /

noun

1. the mixture of gases that forms the earth's atmosphere. At sea level dry air has a density of 1.226 kilograms per cubic metre and consists of 78.08 per cent nitrogen, 20.95 per cent oxygen, 0.93 per cent argon, 0.03 per cent carbon dioxide, with smaller quantities of ozone and inert gases; water vapour varies between 0 and 4 per cent and in industrial areas sulphur gases may be present as pollutants
2. the space above and around the earth; sky aerial
3. breeze; slight wind
4. public expression; utterance

   to give air to one's complaints

5. a distinctive quality

   an air of mystery

6. a person's distinctive appearance, manner, or bearing
7. music
   1. a simple tune for either vocal or instrumental performance
   2. another word for aria
8. transportation in aircraft (esp in the phrase by air )
9. an archaic word for breath breath breath
10. informal.
    the height gained when getting airborne in surfing, snowboarding, etc
11. clear the air
    to rid a situation of tension or discord by settling misunderstandings, etc
12. give someone the air slang.
    to reject or dismiss someone
13. in the air
    1. in circulation; current
    2. in the process of being decided; unsettled
14. into thin air
    leaving no trace behind
15. off the air
    not in the act of broadcasting or being broadcast on radio or television
16. on the air
    in the act of broadcasting or being broadcast on radio or television
17. out of thin air or from thin air
    suddenly and unexpectedly
18. take the air
    to go out of doors, as for a short walk or ride
19. up in the air
    1. uncertain
    2. agitated or excited
20. walk on air
    to feel elated or exhilarated
21. modifier astrology of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius Compare earth fire water

verb

1. to expose or be exposed to the air so as to cool or freshen; ventilate

   to air a room

2. to expose or be exposed to warm or heated air so as to dry

   to air linen

3. tr to make known publicly; display; publicize

   to air one's opinions

4. intr (of a television or radio programme) to be broadcast

Aïr

²

/ ˈɑːɪə /

noun

1. a mountainous region of N central Niger, in the Sahara, rising to 1500 m (5000 ft): a former native kingdom. Area: about 77 700 sq km (30 000 sq miles) Also calledAzbineAsben

AIR

³

abbreviation for

1. All India Radio

air

/ âr /

1. The colorless, odorless, tasteless mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. Air consists of about 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen, with the remaining part made up mainly of argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, methane, and krypton in decreasing order of volume. Air also contains varying amounts of water vapor, particulate matter such as dust and soot, and chemical pollutants.

Other Words From

• air·like adjective
• un·aired adjective
• well-aired adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of air¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English eir, from Old French air, from Latin āēr- (accusative āerem ), from Greek āer- (stem of āḗr ) “the lower atmosphere”; conflated with air ¹( espfordefs 4, 5 ) French air, Old French aire “nature, character,” Latin ager “field” ( acre ) and ārea “threshing floor, clearing, area ”; and with air ¹( fordef 7 ) French air, from Italian aria aria

Origin of air²

ere

Word History and Origins

Origin of air¹

C13: via Old French and Latin from Greek aēr the lower atmosphere

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. clear the air, to eliminate dissension, ambiguity, or tension from a discussion, situation, etc.:

   The staff meeting was intended to help clear the air.

2. get some air,
   1. to take a break from an unpleasant encounter or stifling environment:

      She walked away from the argument to get some air.

   2. to take a short rest.
3. get the air, Informal.
   1. to be rejected, as by a lover.
   2. to be dismissed, as by an employer:

      He had worked only a few days when he got the air.

4. give (someone) the air, Informal.
   1. to reject, as a lover:

      He was bitter because she gave him the air.

   2. to dismiss, as an employee.
5. in the air, in circulation; current:

   There's a rumor in the air that we're moving to a new location.

6. into thin air, completely out of sight or reach:

   He vanished into thin air.

7. off the air,
   1. not broadcasting:

      The station goes off the air at midnight.

   2. not broadcast; out of operation as a broadcast:

      The program went off the air years ago.

8. on the air, in the act of broadcasting; being broadcast:

   The program will be going on the air in a few seconds.

9. put on airs, to assume an affected or haughty manner:

   As their fortune increased, they began to put on airs.

10. take the air,
    1. to go out-of-doors; take a short walk or ride.
    2. Slang. to leave, especially hurriedly.
    3. to begin broadcasting.
11. up in the air,
    1. Also in the air. undecided or unsettled:

       The contract is still up in the air.

    2. Informal. angry; perturbed:

       There is no need to get up in the air over a simple mistake.

12. walk / tread on air, to feel very happy; be elated.

More idioms and phrases containing air

In addition to the idiom beginning with air , also see breath of fresh air ; castles in the air ; clear the air ; give someone the air ; hot air ; in the air ; into (out of) thin air ; nose in the air ; off the air ; put on airs ; up in the air ; walk on air ; wash (air) one's dirty linen .

Synonym Study

See wind ¹. See manner ¹.

Example Sentences

The authors suggested that disparities might be related to lower-quality housing, which can increase the amount of smoke that enters people's homes, or lower-income families' inability to afford air filtration systems.

From Science Daily

Russia has made a rare admission, saying that a key air defence system and an air base in the Kursk region were hit by Ukraine with US-supplied Atacms missiles.

From BBC

The captain said he "cleared the air" with his players when they arrived in Queenstown to prepare for this series last week.

From BBC

The girl, who prosecutors said had "never known daylight or fresh air", was only discovered when a visitor to their house in Cheshire heard her crying.

From BBC

The crowd was calm and receptive but the air chilled momentarily when Tomlinson asked if the law might push more people to end their lives to avoid burdening families or the NHS.

From BBC

Related Words

• broadcast
• circulate
• communicate
• declare
• disclose
• display
• publicize
• publish
• put
• reveal
• speak
• tell

More About Air

What is a basic definition of air?

Air is the invisible mixture of gases that makes up the Earth’s atmosphere. This is what we mean when we talk about the air that we breathe. The word air is also used to refer to the appearance of something, as in an air of mystery. Air is used as a verb meaning to expose something to air, the public, or on a broadcast. The word air has many other senses, both as a noun and a verb.

Speaking scientifically, the word air refers to an invisible mixture of gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and small amounts of many other gases. You are breathing air into your lungs right now as you read these words.

• Real-life example: We are all surrounded by air. It is what makes up Earth’s atmosphere. The word air is also used generally to refer to any of the gases that can be found floating around us. For example, a balloon filled with air is most likely full of the carbon dioxide gas released from a person’s lungs.
• Used in a sentence: Swimmers returned to the surface so she could get a breath of air. 

The terms air or the air is used generally to refer to the sky or open space outside.

• Real-life example: Airplanes and helicopters are designed to fly in the air, meaning the empty space over the ground. Birds, bats, and insects also travel through this empty space.
• Used in a sentence: The boy threw the ball into the air. 

Air is also used to describe a style or appearance that something or someone has. The plural airs is used when someone acts as though they are better than other people, often in the phrase put on airs.

• Used in a sentence: The quiet man had an air of mystery about him. 

As a verb, air is used to variously mean exposing something to air, exposing something to the public as a whole, or to broadcast something, such as on TV, radio, or a webcast.

• Real-life example: People will sometimes air a room by opening windows or air out laundry so the wind will blow smells off it. Gossip magazines and websites often air celebrity secrets or rumors. Television and radio stations air (broadcast) programs every day.
• Used in a sentence: The angry citizens aired their complaints to the nervous mayor.

Where does air come from?

The first records of the word air come from the later 1100s. It ultimately comes from the Greek word aēr, meaning “the lower atmosphere.” Generally speaking, the lower part of the atmosphere is the part that we live in and contains the gaseous mixture of air that we breathe and feel as wind.

Based on its pronunciation, it’s possible for the word air to be confused with several similarly sounding words. The word heir refers to a person who will inherit property from someone else. The word err means to make a mistake or to be wrong. The word e’er is a contraction of ever. The word ere means before.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to air?

• airlike (adjective)
• unaired (adjective)
• well-aired (adjective)

What are some synonyms for air?

• breath
• wind
• sky
• aura
• circulate
• broadcast
• reveal

What are some words that share a root or word element with air? 

• aria
• airs

What are some words that often get used in discussing air?

• breathe
• fresh
• oxygen
• atmosphere
• airplane
• put
• up
• live
• television

What are some words air may be commonly confused with in speech?

• heir
• err
• ere

How is air used in real life?

Air is a common word with many different meanings. It’s most commonly used as a general way to refer to the mixture of oxygen and other gases that we breathe.

Drink water. Breathe in fresh air. Take in the sunlight. Be like a plant. 🌱 pic.twitter.com/jE7MKQAgqv

— Kritika (@kritipraksart) December 13, 2020

⚠️ Schedule Update ⚠️

Wednesday’s game at @SportingKC has been moved to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Also, it will air on FOX. pic.twitter.com/xLNBInpv8F

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) November 30, 2020

The cats have an almost palpable air of relief when I go to my room at night. "Oh good the human will sleep," they seem to say.

— Seanan McGuire (@seananmcguire) November 8, 2020

 

 

Try using air!

True or False?

Air consists of an invisible mixture of liquids that mostly contains nitrogen and oxygen.