air
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I. noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr
Date: 14th century
1.
a. archaic breath
b. the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth
c. a light breeze
2.
a. empty space
b. nothingness <vanished into thin air> c. a sudden severance of relations <she gave me the air> 3. [probably translation of Italian aria] a. tune, melody b. Elizabethan & Jacobean music an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form c. the chief voice part or melody in choral music 4. a. outward appearance of a thing <an air of luxury> b. a surrounding or pervading influence ; atmosphere <an air of mystery> c. the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion ; demeanor <an air of dignity> d. an artificial or affected manner <put on airs> 5. public utterance <he gave air to his opinion> 6. compressed air 7. a. (1) aircraft <go by air> (2) aviation <air safety> <air rights> (3) air force <air headquarters> b. (1) the medium of transmission of radio waves; also radio, television <went on the air> (2) airtime 8. a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass <trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air> 9. an air-conditioning system 10. the height achieved in performing an aerial maneuver <a snowboarder catching big air>; also the maneuver itself Synonyms: see pose • airless adjective • airlessness noun II. verb Date: 1530 transitive verb 1. to expose to the air for drying, purifying, or refreshing ; ventilate — often used with out 2. to expose to public view or bring to public notice 3. to transmit by radio or television <air a program> intransitive verb 1. to become exposed to the open air 2. to become broadcast <the program airs daily> Synonyms: see express
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
Look at other dictionaries:
AIR — Le globe terrestre est entouré d’une atmosphère constituée d’un mélange gazeux nommé air, qui s’étend de la surface du sol jusqu’à une altitude d’environ 150 kilomètres. La pression de l’air au niveau de la mer a longtemps servi d’unité de… … Encyclopédie Universelle
air — 1. (êr) s. m. 1° Fluide invisible, transparent, sans odeur ni saveur, pesant, compressible, élastique, qui forme autour de la terre une couche nommée atmosphère, et qui est composé de 0,79 d azote et de 0,21 d oxygène. L air était un des quatre … Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré
air — AIR. s. m. Celui des quatre Élémens qui environne le globe de la terre. L air est plus léger que l eau. La basse, la haute, la moyenne région de l air. Une colonne d air. La pesanteur de l air. La circulation de l air. L air se dilate, se raréfie … Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798
Air — ([^a]r), n. [OE. air, eir, F. air, L. a[ e]r, fr. Gr. ah r, air, mist, for a[digamma]hr, fr. root a[digamma] to blow, breathe, probably akin to E. wind. In sense 10 the French has taking a meaning fr. It. aria atmosphere, air, fr. the same Latin… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
air — air; Air·bra·sive; air·crafts·man; air·crafts·wom·an; air·crew·man; Air·dent; air·drau·lic; air·drome; air·graph; air·i·fied; air·i·ly; air·i·ness; air·ish; air·less; air·man; air·man·ship; air·scape; an·ti·air; an·ti·air·craft·er;… … English syllables
air — [er, ar] n. [ME < OFr < L aer < Gr aēr, air, mist] 1. the elastic, invisible mixture of gases (chiefly nitrogen and oxygen, as well as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, etc.) that surrounds the earth; atmosphere 2. space… … English World dictionary
Air BC — was an airline based in British Columbia in Canada and now part of Air Canada Jazz. History Air BC was established in 1980 after the merger (by the Jim Pattison Group) of a number of western coast domestic airlines: Canadian Air Transit, Flight… … Wikipedia
Air TV — Air (univers de fiction) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Air (homonymie). Air Type Seinen Genre Romance, drame, fantastique Jeu Développeur Kei … Wikipédia en Français
Air 1 — IATA Code … Deutsch Wikipedia
air — Air, Mot d une syllabe, Aer, Dium, Spiritus. A l air, Sub dio, siue Sub diuo. Estre à l air, Sub dio agere. Air assemblé, Aer concretus. Bon air, Bonum caelum. Bonté et attrempance de l air, Salubritas caeli atque temperies. Un air doux et bien… … Thresor de la langue françoyse
air — ► NOUN 1) the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen. 2) the open space above the surface of the earth. 3) (before another noun ) indicating the use of aircraft: air travel. 4) the earth s… … English terms dictionary
