air

I'm going outside to get some air.

Open the window and let some air into the room.

(uncountable) The substance constituting Earth's atmosphere: a gaseous mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and various trace gases.

The substance of the atmosphere seen as an agency of freshness.

(historical, philosophy, alchemy) One of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

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.

1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:

There was a tension in the air which made me suspect an approaching storm.

(historical, medicine) A local environment or atmosphere, in the context of its effects on behavior, health, weather, etc.

This drill runs on compressed air.

As you ascend, the air gets thinner.

The air on Mars is very thin and consists mostly of carbon dioxide.

(uncountable, loosely) The substance of the atmosphere on a planet other than Earth.

The flock of birds took to the air.

(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.

"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."

1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 4, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:

A sense of poise, graciousness, or quality.

putting on airs

He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.

1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

(usually in the plural) Pretension; snobbishness; pretence that one is better than others.

to give it an air of artistry and sophistication

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.

1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:

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.

1951 October, H. A. Vallance, “Across Denmark by Lyntog”, in Railway Magazine, page 658:

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.

1968, Robert Conquest, “The Purge Begins”, in The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties, Macmillan Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 77:

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.

"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[…]"

1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

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."

1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 70:

(music) A melody or song, especially a solo; an aria.

(informal) Nothing; absence of anything.

Could you turn on the air?

Hey, did you mean to leave the airs on all week while you were on vacation?

(countable, uncountable) An air conditioning system.

(uncountable, snowboarding, skateboarding, motor sports) The state of being briefly airborne during a jump.

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.

1996, Thomas Streeter, Selling the Air, →ISBN:

Coming to you live once a month, or whenever I feel like broadcasting a little pirate air.

2001, Dana Stabenow, The Singing of the Dead, →ISBN, page 17:

“These members need air cover in the media.” Paid media is the admission ticket to enter the big-time Washington stage.

2015, Gary Andres, Paul Hernnson, Lobbying Reconsidered: Politics Under the Influence, page 149:

A television or radio signal; (by extension) media broadcasts in general.

en-noun

air (countable and uncountable, plural airs)

airs (plural)
aire (alternative obsolete)
ayre (alternative obsolete)
eyr (alternative obsolete)
ayr (alternative)

→ Jersey Dutch: êr

хӏауа

mixture of gases making up the atmosphere of the Earth

جَوّ

the apparently open space above the ground

luftrener

air conditioner or the processed air it produces

hop

snowboarding, skateboarding: jump in which one becomes airborne

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.

err (one US pronunciation or with fair–fur merger)


air

I'll hang these clothes on the rack to air them.

(transitive) To bring (something) into contact with the air, so as to freshen or dry it.

It's getting quite stuffy in this room: let's open the windows and air it.

(transitive) To let fresh air into (a room or a building), to ventilate.

Residents used the public meeting to air their concerns about the poor state of the roads.

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.

2010 February 11, Rosie Swash, “John Mayer apologises after using N-word in Playboy interview”, in The Guardian:

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.

1917, National Geographic, v.31, March 1917:

(transitive) To make public (an opinion, concern, issue, secret, differences, etc); to present to public view (and sometimes discussion).

The BBC decided not to air the controversial episode.

(transitive) To broadcast (a television show etc.).

This game show first aired in the 1990s and is still going today.

Why is this girl airing me?

(transitive, British, MLE, slang) To ignore (a person).

en-verb

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

airs (present singular third-person)
airing (participle present)
aired (participle past)
aired (past)
aire (alternative obsolete)
ayre (alternative obsolete)
eyr (alternative obsolete)
ayr (alternative)


air

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

aire (alternative obsolete)
ayre (alternative obsolete)
eyr (alternative obsolete)
ayr (alternative)