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air

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

See also: Air, AIR, áir, aïr, Aïr, 'air, air., àir., and -air
Languages (21)
English
Cornish • Dutch • French • Gothic • Indonesian • Irish • Kedah Malay • Kein • Ludian • Malay • Norman • Old Breton • Old French • Old Irish • Old Javanese • Pohnpeian • Scots • Scottish Gaelic • Veps • Welsh
Page categories

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
A hot air balloon partially inflated with air.
The composition of air.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English aire, from Old French air, from Latin āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr). Displaced native Old English lyft. More at lift, loft.

Noun

air (countable and uncountable, plural airs)

  1. (uncountable) The substance constituting Earth's atmosphere: a gaseous mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and various trace gases.
    This drill runs on compressed air.
    As you ascend, the air gets thinner.
    1. The substance of the atmosphere seen as an agency of freshness.
      I'm going outside to get some air.
      Open the window and let some air into the room.
    2. (historical, philosophy, alchemy) One of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
      Synonym: wind
    3. (historical, medicine) A local environment or atmosphere, in the context of its effects on behavior, health, weather, etc.
      • 1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:
        Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
        B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves?
        Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.
      There was a tension in the air which made me suspect an approaching storm.
  2. (uncountable, loosely) The substance of the atmosphere on a planet other than Earth.
    The air on Mars is very thin and consists mostly of carbon dioxide.
  3. (uncountable, usually with the) The apparently open space above the ground which this substance fills, (historical) formerly thought to be limited by the firmament but (meteorology) now considered to be surrounded by the near-vacuum of outer space.
    The flock of birds took to the air.
  4. A breeze; a gentle wind.
  5. A feeling or sense.
    to give it an air of artistry and sophistication
    • 1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:
      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.
    • 1951 October, H. A. Vallance, “Across Denmark by Lyntog”, in Railway Magazine, page 658:
      Even at the busiest periods, an air of quiet orderliness pervades the hall, and the first impression gained by the traveller is one of efficiency, neatness and cleanliness.
    • 1968, Robert Conquest, “The Purge Begins”, in The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties‎, Macmillan Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 77:
      But the dull, cool, calculating effect given cumulatively through Stalin’s long career, the air of a great glacier moving slowly and by the easiest path to overwhelm some Alpine valley, is only part of the picture. At various times - and especially in his early career - the calm of his general manner was broken, and expression given to the driving emotions that possessed him.
    • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
      Smalling’s quick one-two of yellow cards towards the end of the first half had left an air of inevitability about what would follow and, if anything, it was probably a surprise that City restricted themselves to Sergio Agüero’s goal bearing in mind another of United’s defenders, Marcos Rojo, was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half with a dislocated shoulder.
    1. A sense of poise, graciousness, or quality.
      • 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 4, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
        "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."
    2. (usually in the plural) Pretension; snobbishness; pretence that one is better than others.
      putting on airs
  6. (music) A melody or song, especially a solo; an aria.
    • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
      "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 […] "
    • 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 70:
      The lad, his son, had obtained a Jew's-harp, and learned to play upon it the profane airs of "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," "St. Patrick's Day," and "Auld Lang Syne."
  7. (informal) Nothing; absence of anything.
  8. (countable, uncountable) An air conditioning system.
    Could you turn on the air?
    Hey, did you mean to leave the airs on all week while you were on vacation?
  9. (obsolete: chemistry) Any specific gas.
  10. (uncountable, snowboarding, skateboarding, motor sports) The state of being briefly airborne during a jump.
  11. A television or radio signal; (by extension) media broadcasts in general.
    • 1996, Thomas Streeter, Selling the Air, →ISBN:
      Ernst gave a list of political activists who had been denied access to the air by private broadcasters, and pointed out that "Secretary Hoover's signature in New York sells for $150,000 to $200,000," thus limiting access to the air on the part of labor unions and other underrepresented groups.
    • 2001, Dana Stabenow, The Singing of the Dead, →ISBN, page 17:
      Coming to you live once a month, or whenever I feel like broadcasting a little pirate air.
    • 2015, Gary Andres, Paul Hernnson, Lobbying Reconsidered: Politics Under the Influence, page 149:
      “These members need air cover in the media.” Paid media is the admission ticket to enter the big-time Washington stage.
  12. (uncountable) Publicity.
Synonyms
Derived terms

English terms starting with “air”

Descendants
  • → Jersey Dutch: êr
Translations
See air/translations § Noun.

Verb

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

  1. (transitive) To bring (something) into contact with the air, so as to freshen or dry it.
    I'll hang these clothes on the rack to air them.
  2. (transitive) 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. (transitive) To make public (an opinion, concern, issue, secret, differences, etc); to present to public view (and sometimes discussion).
    Residents used the public meeting to air their concerns about the poor state of the roads.
    • 2010 February 11, Rosie Swash, “John Mayer apologises after using N-word in Playboy interview”, in The Guardian‎:
      John Mayer has apologised for using a racist epithet in a recent interview with Playboy magazine, after a number of prominent black musicians aired their disapproval.
    • 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. (transitive) To broadcast (a television show etc.).
    The BBC decided not to air the controversial episode.
  5. (intransitive) To be broadcast.
    This game show first aired in the 1990s and is still going today.
  6. (transitive, British, MLE, slang) To ignore (a person).
    Why is this girl airing me?
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Verb

air

  1. Pronunciation spelling of are.

Anagrams

Cornish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Cornish aer, aƿui(r), borrowed from Latin aer.

Pronunciation

Noun

air m

  1. air

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French air, from Middle French air, from Old French air, from Latin āēr.

Pronunciation

Noun

air m (plural airs, diminutive airtje n)

  1. air, pretension or pretentious attitude
  2. tune, melody

Descendants

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French air, aire, from Latin āēr.

Pronunciation

Noun

air m (plural airs)

  1. air (gases of the atmosphere)
    trou d’air ― air pocket
    résistance de l’air ― air resistance
  2. tune, aria
  3. appearance
    avoir l’air ― to appear, to look, to seem
    air de famille ― family resemblance
  4. air (pretension)
    prendre des airs ― to put on airs
    se donner des airs ― give oneself airs

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Gothic

Romanization

air

  1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌹𐍂

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id
Thumb
air

Etymology

Inherited from Malay air, from Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

Noun

air (uncountable)

  1. water (clear liquid H₂0)
  2. mineral water
    Synonym: air mineral
  3. (colloquial) a cockfight round, which begins by spraying water at the cock

Derived terms

Compounds

  • air abu
  • air adas
  • air adhesif
  • air adsorpsi
  • air aerial
  • air agresif
  • air aki
  • air alam
  • air alami
  • air alas
  • air alkali
  • air ampai
  • air ampuh
  • air anaerob
  • air anggur
  • air api
  • air aromatik
  • air artesis
  • air arwah
  • air asam
  • air asin
  • air asli
  • air atar
  • air awamineral
  • air babak
  • air bad
  • air bah
  • air bakat
  • air baku
  • air balas
  • air bawaan
  • air bawah permukaan
  • air bawah tanah
  • air bebas
  • air bebas mineral
  • air beku
  • air belanda
  • air bena
  • air beras
  • air berat
  • air bergerak
  • air bermineral
  • air bersih
  • air besar
  • air biofilter
  • air biru
  • air boron
  • air bumi
  • air celah
  • air comberan
  • air curah
  • air dadih
  • air demineralisasi
  • air diam
  • air didih
  • air doa
  • air ekstraseluler
  • air emas
  • air es
  • air fosil
  • air freatik
  • air garam
  • air got
  • air gravitasi
  • air hablur
  • air heksagonal
  • air hidroskopik
  • air hidung
  • air higroskopis
  • air hitam
  • air imbibisi
  • air infusan
  • air intraselular
  • air irigasi
  • air jenuh
  • air jeruk
  • air juvenil
  • air kandang
  • air kapiler
  • air kapur
  • air karbonat
  • air keling
  • air kemih
  • air kencing
  • air keras
  • air ketuban
  • air ki
  • air kisi
  • air koloh-koloh
  • air konduktivitas
  • air kristalisasi
  • air kubangan
  • air kujumas
  • air kumbahan
  • air kumur
  • air label ganda
  • air landa
  • air lata
  • air laut
  • air laut saniter
  • air leding
  • air limbah
  • air lingkar
  • air liur
  • air ludah
  • air lunak
  • air magma
  • air malihan
  • air mampu curah
  • air mancur
  • air mandi
  • air mani
  • air manis
  • air maram
  • air masin
  • air mata
  • air mata buaya
  • air mata duyung
  • air matang
  • air mati
  • air maulhayat
  • air mawar
  • air merta jiwa
  • air metabolik
  • air metabolisme
  • air mineral
  • air minum
  • air muka
  • air mustakmal
  • air najis
  • air normal
  • air oligotrofik
  • air pasang
  • air payau
  • air pemandian alam
  • air pengisi
  • air penyeimbang beban
  • air perak
  • air perbani
  • air permen
  • air permukaan
  • air pertumbuhan
  • air primer
  • air purwa
  • air pusar
  • air putih
  • air raksa
  • air rasa
  • air ruang antara
  • air ruban
  • air sabun
  • air sadah
  • air saput
  • air sebak
  • air segar
  • air selera
  • air sembahyang
  • air sembilan
  • air senak
  • air seni
  • air senyawa
  • air serani
  • air setaman
  • air sisipan
  • air soda
  • air suci
  • air suling
  • air suling dua kali
  • air sumur
  • air suri
  • air surut
  • air susu
  • air susu jolong
  • air susu pengganti
  • air takbermineral
  • air taktersedia
  • air talkin
  • air tambang asam
  • air tanah
  • air tanah anteseden
  • air tanah bebas
  • air tanah lapisan atas
  • air tanah limpasan hujan
  • air tanah tetap
  • air tanah tubir
  • air tanih
  • air tawar
  • air teh
  • air tenang
  • air tepung tawar
  • air terdemineralisasi
  • air terikat
  • air terjun
  • air terminumkan
  • air tersedia
  • air tersekap
  • air tersenyawa
  • air timah
  • air timpas
  • air tolak bala
  • air tolak bara
  • air tuban
  • air utama jiwa
  • air wangi
  • air wudu

References

  • Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*wahiR”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Further reading

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish airid (“ploughs, tills”).

Pronunciation

Verb

air (present analytic aireann, future analytic airfidh, verbal noun ar, past participle airthe)

  1. (literary, ambitransitive) plough
    Is brea le mo dhuine a bheith ag ar. ― Your man loves to be ploughing.
Conjugation
More information verbal noun, past participle ...
verbal noun ar
past participle airthe
tense singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
indicative
present airim aireann tú;
airir†		 aireann sé, sí airimid aireann sibh aireann siad;
airid†		 a aireann; a aireas /
a n-aireann*		 airtear
past d'air mé; d'aireas /
air mé‡; aireas‡		 d'air tú; d'airis /
air tú; airis‡		 d'air sé, sí /
air sé, sí‡		 d'aireamar; d'air muid /
aireamar; air muid‡		 d'air sibh; d'aireabhair /
air sibh;
aireabhair‡		 d'air siad; d'aireadar /
air siad; aireadar‡		 a d'air /
ar air*		 aireadh;
haireadh†
past habitual d'airinn /
airinn‡; n-airinn‡‡		 d'airteá /
airteá‡; n-airteᇇ		 d'aireadh sé, sí /
aireadh sé, sí‡; n-aireadh sé, s퇇		 d'airimis; d'aireadh muid /
airimis; aireadh muid‡; n-airimis‡‡; n-aireadh muid‡‡		 d'aireadh sibh /
aireadh sibh‡; n-aireadh sibh‡‡		 d'airidís; d'aireadh siad /
airidís; aireadh siad‡; n-airidís‡‡; n-aireadh siad‡‡		 a d'aireadh /
a n-aireadh*		 d'airtí /
airtí‡; n-airt퇇
future airfidh mé;
airfead		 airfidh tú;
airfir†		 airfidh sé, sí airfimid;
airfidh muid		 airfidh sibh airfidh siad;
airfid†		 a airfidh; a airfeas /
a n-airfidh*		 airfear
conditional d'airfinn / airfinn‡; n-airfinn‡‡ d'airfeá / airfeá‡; n-airfeᇇ d'airfeadh sé, sí / airfeadh sé, sí‡; n-airfeadh sé, s퇇 d'airfimis; d'airfeadh muid / airfimis‡; airfeadh muid‡; n-airfimis‡‡; n-airfeadh muid‡‡ d'airfeadh sibh / airfeadh sibh‡; n-airfeadh sibh‡‡ d'airfidís; d'airfeadh siad / airfidís‡; airfeadh siad‡; n-airfidís‡‡; n-airfeadh siad‡‡ a d'airfeadh /
a n-airfeadh*		 d'airfí / airfí‡; n-airf퇇
subjunctive
present go n-aire mé;
go n-airead†		 go n-aire tú;
go n-airir†		 go n-aire sé, sí go n-airimid;
go n-aire muid		 go n-aire sibh go n-aire siad;
go n-airid†		 — go n-airtear
past dá n-airinn dá n-airteá dá n-aireadh sé, sí dá n-airimis;
dá n-aireadh muid		 dá n-aireadh sibh dá n-airidís;
dá n-aireadh siad		 — dá n-airtí
imperative
– airim air aireadh sé, sí airimis airigí;
airidh†		 airidís — airtear
Close
conjugation of air (first conjugation – A)

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis (except an)

Noun

air m

  1. genitive singular of ar

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (stressed) /ɛɾʲ/, (unstressed) /əɾʲ/

Pronoun

air (emphatic airsean)

  1. third-person singular masculine of ar (on him, on it m)

Mutation

More information radical, eclipsis ...
Mutated forms of air
radicaleclipsiswith h-prothesiswith t-prothesis
air n-air hair not applicable
Close

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

Kedah Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

Noun

air

  1. water
    air manis ― sweet water

References

  • Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*wahiR”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Kein

Pronunciation

Noun

air

  1. woman

Further reading

Ludian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *airo.

Noun

air

  1. oar

Malay

Malay Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ms
FWOTD – 26 October 2013

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

First attested in the Talang Tuo inscription, 684 AD, as Old Malay [script needed] (āir).

Pronunciation

Noun

air (Jawi spelling اٴير, informal 1st possessive airku, 2nd possessive airmu, 3rd possessive airnya)

  1. water (liquid H2O)
    • 2012, Faridah Abdul Rashid, Research on the Early Malay Doctors : 1900-1957 : Malaya and Singapore
      loji rawatan air
      water treatment plant

Alternative forms

  • aek (Pontianak)
  • aer (Medan)
  • ayer (obsolete, surviving in place names, pre-1972 in British East Indies)
  • ayar

Synonyms

More information Regional synonyms of (“water”), Region ...
Regional synonyms of air (“water”)
view map; edit data
RegionVarietyWords
BruneiStandardair
Dialectaying, aing
Kedayanaying
IndonesiaStandardair
Amboneseaer
Balineseaer
Bangkaaek, aik
Deliaer
Jambiaek
Ketapangair
Langkataer
Makassaraer, aerek
Manadoaer
Medanaer
Pontianakaek
Riauae, aie
Sambasaek
Tenggarong Kutaiaer
Ternateaer
MalaysiaJohorae
Kedahayaq
Kelantanae
Melakaae
Negeri Sembilanae
Pahangae
Penangayaq
Sabahair
SingaporeStandardair
Babaayer
ThailandPattaniอา-เอ
Overseas MalayCocosaer
Close

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Baba Malay: aye
  • Indonesian: air

References

  • Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*wahiR”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI
  • Pijnappel, Jan (1875) “اير ajar”, in Maleisch-Hollandsch woordenboek, John Enschede en Zonen, Frederik Muller, page 86
  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1901) “اير ayer or ayar”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, page 64
  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “ayer”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume I, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, pages 56-7

Further reading

Norman

Etymology

From Latin āēr.

Noun

air m (plural airs)

  1. air (mixture of gases that make up the earth's atmosphere)

Old Breton

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *aɨr ("battle, carnage"), from Proto-Celtic *agrom ("slaughter, battle"). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵro- ("field, pasturage"), from *h₂eǵ- ("to drive").

Pronunciation

Noun

air

  1. battle, slaughter; carnage

Cognates

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin āēr.

Noun

air oblique singular, m (oblique plural airs, nominative singular airs, nominative plural air)

  1. air (mixture of gases that make up the earth's atmosphere)

Descendants

Old Irish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From the same root as ar (“for”, preposition).

Pronunciation

Conjunction

air

  1. for (because, since)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:air.

Old Javanese

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiR, compare Malay air.

Noun

air

  1. water
    Synonyms: bañu, jahnī, jala, salila, tīrtha, toya, uda, wari, wwe

Alternative forms

Derived terms

  • air baraṅan
  • air haji
  • air waraṅan
  • air śānti
  • airtali
  • ertali
  • saṅ hyaṅ dalĕm er

Further reading

  • "air" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Pohnpeian

Pronunciation

Verb

air

  1. (transitive) to strip off, as when stripping insulation off a wire
  2. (transitive) to wipe off a ropelike object by drawing it through one's hand or fingers
    Air mahs keleuen.
    Please wipe the sap off the hibiscus bast.

Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English air, from Old French air, from Latin āēr.

Noun

air (uncountable)

  1. air, atmosphere
Derived terms
  • air-cock (“weathercock”)
  • air-goat (“snipe”)

References

Etymology 2

From Icelandic ar (“mote, speck of dust”).

Alternative forms

Noun

air (plural airs)

  1. (Northern Isles, Caithness, Banff) A small quantity, particle, morsel; pinch (of snuff); whiff; taste

References

Etymology 3

Perhaps from air. See above.

Verb

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

  1. (Orkney) to taste

References

Etymology 4

From Middle English ore, from Old English ār, from Proto-West Germanic *airu.

Alternative forms

Noun

air (plural airs)

  1. (Orkney, Caithness, Northern Scots) oar

References

Etymology 5

Derived from Old Norse eyrr.

Alternative forms

Noun

air (plural airs)

  1. (Northern Isles) gravelly beach

References

Etymology 6

From Middle English eire, from Old French eire, from Latin iter (“journey”).

Noun

air (plural airs)

  1. (obsolete) eyre

References

Etymology 7

From Middle English er, from Old English ǣr, from Proto-West Germanic *airi.

Alternative forms

Adverb

air (not comparable)

  1. early

Adjective

air (not comparable)

  1. early

References

Scottish Gaelic

Veps

Welsh

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