air

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

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Air (disambiguation)

[ English

Rank of this word in the English language, from analyzing texts from Project Gutenberg.
looking	John	hour	#367: air	reason	feel	behind

[ Etymology

From Anglo-Norman aeir, eyer (etc.), Old French aire, eir, from Latin āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aér), “‘wind, atmosphere’”).

[ Pronunciation

(UK) enPR: â(r), IPA: /ɛə(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /E@(r\)/
(US) enPR: âr, IPA: /ɛɹ/, SAMPA: /Er/
Audio (US)^{help, file}

Rhymes: -ɛə(r)
Homophones: Ayr, (one pronunciation) Eire, ere, err, heir

[ Noun

Singular
air

Plural
countable and uncountable; airs

air (countable and uncountable; plural airs)

(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.
(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."
(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.
A feeling or sense.

...to give it an air of artistry and sophistication.
(obsolete) 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."
(usually plural) Pretension; snobbishness; pretence that one is better than others.
- ...putting on airs...
(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..."
(uncountable) An air conditioner or the processed air it produces.

Could you turn on the air?
(obsolete, chemistry) Any specific gas.
(snowboarding, skateboarding jargon) A jump in which one becomes airborne.

Ancient Greek: ἀήρ m.
Arabic: هواء (hawa')
Aramaic:

Syriac: ܐܐܪ (ā'ar, o'ar) c.

Hebrew: אאר (ā'ar, o'ar) c.
Bosnian: vazduh bs(bs) m., zrak bs(bs) m.
Breton: aer
Bulgarian: въздух bg(bg) (vâzdukh) m.
Catalan: aire m.
Chemehuevi: nɨ'gar(ɨ)
Chinese: 空氣, 空气 (kōngqì)
Czech: vzduch cs(cs) m.
Dutch: lucht nl(nl) f.
Esperanto: aero eo(eo)
Finnish: ilma fi(fi)
French: air fr(fr) m.
German: Luft de(de) f.
Greek: αέρας el(el) m.
Guarani: yvytu
Hebrew: אויר he(he) m.
Hungarian: levegő hu(hu)
Icelandic: loft is(is) n.
Ido: aero
Igbo: ekuku
Indonesian: udara id(id)
Interlingua: aere
Italian: aria it(it) f.

Japanese: 空気 (くうき, kūki); エア (ea)
Korean: 공기 (空氣, gonggi)
Kurdish: hewa ku(ku), هه‌وا ku(ku)
Latin: aer la(la) m.
Latvian: gaiss lv(lv) m.
Lithuanian: oras lt(lt) m.
Malay: udara ms(ms)
Maltese: arja mt(mt) f.
Old English: lyft
Persian: هَوا (hævā)
Polish: powietrze pl(pl) n.
Portuguese: ar pt(pt) m.
Romanian: aer ro(ro) n.
Russian: воздух ru(ru) (vózdukh) m.
Scottish Gaelic: adhar m., àidhear m., àile m., gaoth f., iarmailt f.
Serbian:
- Cyrillic: ваздух, зрак m.
- Roman: vazduh, zrak m.
Slovak: vzduch sk(sk) m.
Slovene: zrak sl(sl) m.
Spanish: aire es(es) m.
Swahili: hewa sw(sw)
Swedish: luft sv(sv) c., atmosfär sv(sv) c.
Telugu: గాలి (gaali)
Tupinambá: ybytu
Turkish: hava tr(tr)

historical: one of the basic elements

Finnish: ilma fi(fi)
Icelandic: loft is(is) n.
Italian: aria it(it) f.
Latin: aer la(la) m.
Latvian: gaiss lv(lv) m.
Lithuanian: oras lt(lt) m.

Polish: powietrze pl(pl) n.
Scottish Gaelic: adhar m., àile m., gaoth f.
Slovene: zrak sl(sl) m.
Spanish: aire es(es) m.
Swedish: luft sv(sv) c.
Telugu: గాలి (gaali)

music: a song, an aria

Italian: aria it(it) f.
Japanese: アリア ja(ja) (aria)

Scottish Gaelic: ceòlan m., fonn m., sèis m.

[ Verb

Infinitive
to air

Third person singular
airs

Simple past
aired

Past participle
aired

Present participle
airing

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

To bring (something) into contact with the air, so as to freshen or dry it.
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.
To broadcast, as with a television show.