air

See also -air

English

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Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English air, eir (“gas, atmosphere”), from Anglo-Norman aeir, eyer, Old French aire, eir, from Latin āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aér, “wind, atmosphere”). Displaced native Middle English luft, lift (“air”) (from Old English lyft (“air, atmosphere”)), Middle English loft (“air, upper region”) (from Old Norse lopt (“air, sky, loft”)). More at lift, loft.

Pronunciation

Noun

air (countable and uncountable; plural airs)

  1. (uncountable, historical, astrology, alchemy, sciences) The atmospheric substance above the surface of the earth which animals breathe, formerly considered to be a single substance, one of the four basic elements of ancient philosophy and one of the five basic elements of Eastern traditions.
  2. (uncountable, physics, meteorology) Now understood as the mixture of gases comprising the earth's atmosphere.
    The karate instructor said "air is the one thing you can't go five minutes without; when you spar, you have to remember to breathe."
  3. (usually with the) The apparently open space above the ground; the mass of this substance around the earth.
    The flock of birds took to the air.
    There was a tension in the air which made me suspect an approaching storm.
  4. A feeling or sense.
    ...to give it an air of artistry and sophistication.
    • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,
      The girl stooped to pluck a rose, and as she bent over it, her profile was clearly outlined. She held the flower to her face with a long-drawn inhalation, then went up the steps, crossed the piazza, opened the door without knocking, and entered the house with the air of one thoroughly at home.
  5. A sense of poise, graciousness, or quality.
    • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume I, Chapter 4:
      "He is very plain, undoubtedly--remarkably plain:--but that is nothing compared with his entire want of gentility. I had no right to expect much, and I did not expect much; but I had no idea that he could be so very clownish, so totally without air. I had imagined him, I confess, a degree or two nearer gentility."
  6. (usually plural) Pretension; snobbishness; pretence that one is better than others.
    • ...putting on airs...
  7. (music) A song, especially a solo; an aria.
    • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 18:
      "If I," said Mr. Collins, "were so fortunate as to be able to sing, I should have great pleasure, I am sure, in obliging the company with an air; for I consider music as a very innocent diversion, and perfectly compatible with the profession of a clergyman..."
  8. (informal) Nothing; absence of anything.
  9. (uncountable) An air conditioner or the processed air it produces.
    Could you turn on the air?
  10. (obsolete, chemistry) Any specific gas.
  11. (snowboarding, skateboarding, motor sports) A jump in which one becomes airborne.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Terms derived from air

Look at pages starting with air.

Related terms

Translations

historical: one of the basic elements
mixture of gases making up the atmosphere of the Earth
the apparently open space above the ground
feeling or sense
sense of poise, graciousness, quality
pretension, snobbishness
music: a song, an aria
informal: absence of anything
air conditioner or the processed air it produces
obsolete: any specific gas
snowboarding, skateboarding: jump in which one becomes airborne

Verb

air (third-person singular simple present airs, present participle airing, simple past and past participle aired)

  1. To bring (something) into contact with the air, so as to freshen or dry it.
  2. To let fresh air into a room or a building, to ventilate.
    It's getting quite stuffy in this room: let's open the windows and air it.
  3. To discuss varying viewpoints on a given topic.
    • 1917, National Geographic, v.31, March 1917:
      Thus, in spite of all opposition, the rural and urban assemblies retained the germ of local government, and in spite of the dual control, as the result of which much of their influence was nullified, they did have a certain value in airing abuses and suggesting improvements.
  4. To broadcast, as with a television show.

Translations

to bring into contact with the air
to ventilate
to discuss varying viewpoints
to broadcast

Statistics

Anagrams

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Cornish

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

air m

  1. air
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Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

air m (plural airs, diminutive airtje)

  1. air (pretension)
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French

Etymology

From Latin āēr.

Pronunciation

Noun

air m (plural airs)

  1. air (gases of the atmosphere)
  2. tune, aria
  3. appearance
  4. air (pretension)

Related terms

Anagrams

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Gothic

Romanization

air

  1. See 𐌰𐌹𐍂
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Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia id

air

Etymology

From Malay air, from Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *wair, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

air

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
  2. water (mineral water)
  3. water (one of the four elements in alchemy)
  4. water (one of the five basic elements in some other theories)

Derived terms

Terms derived from air
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Irish

Pronunciation

Pronoun

air

  1. 3rd person singular masculine form of ar (on him, on it m)

Derived terms

  • airsean (emphatic)
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Malay

Malay Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia ms

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *wair, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (Johor-Selangor) IPA: /ae(r)/
  • (Riau-Lingga) IPA: /aɪ(r)/
  • Rhymes: -ae(r), -e(r)

Noun

air (Jawi spelling اءير)

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
  2. water (mineral water)
  3. water (one of the four elements in alchemy)
  4. water (one of the five basic elements in some other theories)

Derived terms

Terms derived from air

Descendants

  • Indonesian: air
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Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

Preposition

air

  1. on, upon
    air bàrr a' bhalla - on top of the wall
  2. of, concerning
    iomradh air do ghliocas - a report of thy wisdom
  3. for, on account of
    air an aobhar sin - for that reason
  4. by
    air ainm - by name

Usage notes

  • Air combines with personal pronouns to form prepositional pronouns. See Derived forms below. Specifically for air the third-person singular masculine pronoun is identical to the uninflected preposition, hence air = on or on him.
  • The word air and its derivates are also used in many idioms:
    De an t-ainm a tha ort? - what's your name? (Literally: what name is on you?)
    Tha an t-acras orm. - I'm hungry. (Literally: the hunger is on me.)

Derived terms

Combining

pronoun

 Prepositional

pronoun

 Prepositional

pronoun (emphatic)
mi orm ormsa
tu ort ortsa
e air airsan
i oirre oirrese
sinn oirnn oirnne
sibh oirbh oirbhse
iad orra orrasan

Pronoun

air

  1. on him
  2. on it

See also

References

  • The Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary (Birlinn Limited, 1901-1911, Compiled by Edward Dwelly)
  • A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language (John Grant, Edinburgh, 1925, Complied by Malcolm MacLennan)
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Last modified on 19 May 2013, at 17:06