airishadj.
/ˈɛːrɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈɛrɪʃ/ 1. Of or belonging to the air; aerial, airlike. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > gas > air > [adjective] > of or belonging to the air > existing in the air
aerya1398
airlya1398
airya1398
airishc1450
aerial?1545
airsome1584
aerian1618
aericala1678
atmospheric1789
up in-the-air1848
the world > matter > gas > air > [adjective]
airlya1398
airya1398
airish1562
airsome1584
aereous1594
airous1683
c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 965 And behelde the ayerissh [c1475 Bodl. 638 ayryssh, 1483 Caxton ayrisshe, 1532 Thynne eyrysshe] bestes.
1562 W. Turner 2nd Pt. Herball f. 165v Viscum is made of an aerishe, waterishe hote nature.
1612 T. James Life Father Parsons in Iesuits Downefall 61 He was not a meere man; but some Fairies brat, or begotten by an Incubus, or aerish spirit, vpon the bodie of a base woman.
1921 G. B. Shaw Back to Methuselah iv. i. 159 A ridiculous thing to call people Irish because they live in Ireland! you might as well call them Airish because they live in air.
a1963 C. S. Lewis Discarded Image (1964) iii. 33 As if the aether grew more airish or the air more aetherial at their meeting-place.
2. Of weather: cool, fresh, breezy, chilly. Now chiefly Scottish and U.S. regional (southern and south Midland).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cold weather > [adjective] > cool > cool and fresh
airisha1642
bracing1761
brisk1837
crispy1841
crisp1869
a1642 H. Best Farming & Memorandum Bks. (1984) 19 Betwixt 8 and 9 of the clocke, and not afore, because the mornings are airish.
1757 L. Carter Diary 11 Feb. (1965) I. 140 A clear day but airish till night and then excessive Cold.
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. Airish, chilly.
1845 T. D. Lauder in Edinb. Tales I. 411/1 The night is rather airish, and a bonfire will be comfortable.
1882 J. H. Beadle Western Wilds (ed. 2) xxxviii. 613 Going westward on any line one will find the winters growing dryer, also more ‘airish’.
1885 ‘C. E. Craddock’ Prophet Great Smoky Mountains 267 It air toler'ble airish in the fog.
1922 A. Buchan in Mair Swatches o' Hamespun 71 It's gettin' airish, though, an' I maun feenish afore sax.
1972 Atlanta Lett. 22 in Dict. Amer. Regional Eng. (1985) I. 28/2 ‘It's getting airish’ means the weather is getting cooler.
2005 Press & Jrnl. (Aberdeen) (Nexis) 13 Aug. 12 The win kittling up wi a fluffert comin aff the sea makin't a thochtie airish.
3. Conceited, snobbish; inclined to behave in an affected manner. Cf. airy adj. 7a. Now chiefly U.S. regional (southern and Midland, esp. in African-American usage).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > pretension to superiority > [adjective] > snobbish
airish1842
snobbish1850
head-in-air1888
high hat1924
toffee-nosed1925
snob1958
elitist1966
the mind > emotion > pride > self-esteem > conceit > [adjective]
opinative1517
opinionativea1549
nose-wise?1566
self-conceited?1574
self-weening1574
opiniative?1575
opinionate1575
conceited1579
weening1579
self-opinionative1584
self-opinionate1602
well-opinioned1608
self-opinioned1609
opinioned1612
opinionated1630
cocklikea1635
self-opinionated1649
vogie1719
swell-headed1817
egotistical1825
airish1842
popular1848
big-headed1860
biggity1880
bigsie1881
ikey1881
Tappertitian1895
swollen-headed1928
ditzy1976
1842 W. C. Hazlitt tr. M. de Montaigne Compl. Wks. 600/2 I gave a dance to the country girls, and danced with them myself, in order not to appear airish.
1874 ‘M. Twain’ Let. 29 Oct. in Howells Lett. (1960) I. 35 I shall be as uppish & airish as any third-rate actor whose name is not made loud enough in the bills.
1947 H. L. Ballowe Lawd 240 Ah sees huccome them quarters frawgs so airish. The quality done showed 'em.
2002 M. W. Brown in S. Brewer Stories from Blue Moon Café III (2004) 80 ‘What makes you think I was good-looking?’ ‘Because you still got them ways. Airish.’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.c1450