Definition of air in English:

air

noun ɛːɛr

1mass noun The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
Example sentencesExamples
- We never closed the curtains and were consistently surrounded by light and air.
- Whatever he became in that no-man's land he was a ghost, invisible as air.
- The plant leaves suck pollution out of the air and cool the rooftop and surrounding air considerably.
- The soybean takes nitrogen from air in the soil and fixes it in nodules on its roots.
- There was a hole in the floor through which poured a festive mixture of frigid air and diesel fumes.
- Oxygen is heavier than air, so it can collect in low areas, such as the lower airway.
- At almost 5,000 ft, it is surrounded by rarefied air, seductive silence and dreamy peaks.
- Before long, the hot air inside the balloon is less dense than the cool air that surrounds it.
- Hence, toxic substances in air can easily reach the lung and produce harmful effects locally and in other organs.
- The engine is normal and the mixture of air / fuel is right when the color of the plug is tan.
- In gasification, crushed coal is reacted with steam and either air or pure oxygen.
- When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to err on the safe side and add air or nitrogen to your tires.
- The surface tension of water is increased, and even the density of air surrounding the Earth ebbs and flows like the tides in the sea.
- The most familiar cause of hypoxic hypoxia is the low oxygen content of air at high altitude.
- Beat the butter into the chocolate and cream, trying not to get any air into the mixture.
- The air sizzled as oxygen was greedily consumed by the roiling ball of fire.
- Most victims were long gone, to hospitals or morgues, and their attackers were as invisible as air.
- Exposing the fabric to the oxygen in air and heating it for a while changes the molecules back to indigo.
- The chilled air surrounded him as he trudged off towards his car parked only a few feet away.
- It is a natural process for a fire to draw in air to consume its oxygen.
1. 1.1 Air regarded as necessary for breathing.
  the air was stale
  the doctor told me to get some fresh air
  Example sentencesExamples
  My body heat rose to my face in the cool, stale bus air.
  He wrestled her arm away long enough to gasp a few precious seconds of air from the surface before going under.
  The water pushed her upwards, though, and soon she was back on the surface, gasping for air.
  He had seen enough and was having trouble breathing because the air was thin.
  After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe the fresh desert air.
  As I rested day after day in the sun, breathing the fresh air, God slowly turned my life around.
  Children from far away cities came here for summer camps to breathe the sea air and eat fresh fish.
  Automobile exhaust fumes have become a major contributor to air pollution globally.
  It seemed many long minutes before Giles came back up for air.
  The ban is meant to boost air quality by reducing smoke.
  Why do we have to leave our cities and towns to breathe fresh air?
  What seems like winter cold symptoms can often be allergic reactions to dust and fungus in stale, heated indoor air.
  They suffocated and strangled me simultaneously, and I had to fight to surface for air.
  For many, the north shore still holds the allure of country life with historic towns, cleaner air and a slower pace of life.
  When I emerged from the ground I felt the warm breeze of the evening on my face and took my first breaths of fresh air.
  Breathing fresh air is vital, so get outdoors as much as possible.
  She once again inhaled the autumn air and then jumped back in her car.
  I stood on the precipice gulping air, awestruck.
  A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities.
  I do believe that being able to breathe fresh mountain air, see the sea or green hills all the time does a lot for one's spirit.
  Synonyms
  going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind
  brewing, looming, on the way, in the offing, on the horizon
  informal on the go, doing the rounds, on the cards, in the pipeline
  literary astir
2. 1.2 The free or unconfined space above the surface of the earth.
  he celebrated by tossing his hat high in the air
  Example sentencesExamples
  Cheers and whistles filled the air.
  It would fly up in the air and you had to hit it again as far as you could.
  Experts say that if the volcano erupts, it might throw hot rocks into the air above the surface of the sea.
  Wolves have launched an inquiry into how Mrs Butler was hurt by a firework that should have flown straight up in the air.
  Cirrus clouds indicated the distant approach of a trough, both in the surface and upper air.
  I watched as the ground slipped farther and farther away as we were pulled into air, then space.
  Despite the visual high of watching a superhero leaping across rooftops or swinging through the air at incredibly dangerous speeds, the film is really a love story.
  People have invaded the earth and the air; even the surface of the water is sliced through with boats.
  The air above this sea ice is deprived of heat and moisture from the ocean.
  Murray is succeeding by keeping the ball out of the air and on the ground.
  Bright-orange flocks of butterflies fill the air - the migrating monarchs.
  Think about it like this: If you stand on the ground and jump into the air, you burn about ten calories.
  Ultimately, one of the dog's hind legs shoots up in the air, as its head goes down.
  Her reflection in the sparkling water below and in the clear blue air above stretches to infinity.
  Divots can be seen flying through the air.
  Mr Cooper, who had been in front of his brother, said he heard a noise and looked back to see Andrew with his hands up in the air.
  The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air.
  Synonyms
  sky, heavens, ether
  atmosphere, aerosphere, airspace
3. 1.3usually as modifier Referring to the use of aircraft.
  air traffic
  all goods must come in by air
  Example sentencesExamples
  It has since been implemented at all the air logistics centers, albeit in a limited capacity.
  It is one of the ugliest cities I've ever seen, from the air.
  The quest for offensive power did its part to make the loss of air superiority permanent.
  The Convention provides an exclusive legal framework for the settlement of disputes arising out of the international carriage of goods (and passengers) by air.
  Suppose the world population is housed, educated and fed and wants air travel on tap?
  The government started also bombing us from above, from the air.
  Further events followed in the afternoon including air displays and model aircraft flying.
  To facilitate the customer you need to have access by road, by air and by the normal routes.
  Defeat came from air superiority in the west and numerical superiority in the east.
  The bad news for air travelers is that in the long term, fares are bound to increase.
  At the time no one realized that this was the aircraft which would win the air war over the Pacific.
  Information was a major enabler of this strike and of the air campaign that followed.
  Bomber Command's air offensive against Germany was one of the epic campaigns of World War II.
  Nimitz knew that the battle that would ensue would involve aircraft and air supremacy.
  As we were taxiing out to the strip I saw some air activity east of the field.
  It was the third major air disaster involving aircraft flying in or out of the airport in the space of eight years.
  Six weeks on people were beginning to come back to air travel.
  In a world in which air travel would continue to become cheaper, tourism here had to build on quality.
  They are searching in cars, on foot and from the air.
  This success led to an order directing all military airfields to have an air ambulance.
4. 1.4 The earth's atmosphere as a medium for transmitting radio waves.
  radio stations have successfully sold products over the air
  Example sentencesExamples
  The idea that comes to my mind is to do a TV show, but to do it strictly online rather than over the air.
  But they're sending your confidential data over the air through a broadcast system.
  In theory the network can send its logo over the air - as with a Nokia phone - in practice they won't.
5. 1.5 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs of Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra)
  as modifier an air sign
  Example sentencesExamples
  As an air sign, Libra likes to keep things light, bright and positive.
  The air signs are the guys who seem self-obsessed but spend most of their time with other people.
  He is said to have believed in fire and air as basic elements and thought of the world as a living being with God as its soul.
  In vedic astrology, Virgo has some qualities of air, because Mercury is considered an airy planet for them.
  The lack of air in a birth chart can indicate difficulty in the expression of that person.
  Bring the element of air into the environment with wind chimes and fans.
  So if the chart is cast for noon then Saturn acts as the triplicity ruler of all the air signs; at midnight Mercury would be used instead.
  The diagram shows, for instance, that the combination of hot and cold produces the element of air and the humour of blood.
  As an air sign, Aquarius relates to places that are high off the ground or above the general eye line.
  Neither buildings nor people can escape the logic of the elements of fire and air.
6. 1.6count noun A breeze or light wind.
  Example sentencesExamples
  From the mobile start line near the east shore north of Hen Holme, the fleet of 12 yachts spread out across the lake in light airs.
  Light winds make finding carp that much harder, so let's just take a look at a few ways of hopefully getting on fish when light airs are the order of the day.
  Sailing performance is very respectable particularly in light to moderate air.
  From the mobile start line north of Rough Holme, Naiad got away well in the light south-westerly airs and reached the windward mark at Claife with a narrow lead.
  They've had sea swells of 40 metres and snow, followed by light airs.
  All of the heroes that is, except for the heroes of the airs… of the winds.
  In the light airs, the crews must step gingerly around the boat to retain boatspeed.
  Synonyms
  breeze, draught, wind
  breath of air, gust of air, flurry of air, waft of air, puff of wind, whiff of air, blast of air
2An impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something.
she answered with a faint air of boredom
he leaned over with a confidential air
Example sentencesExamples
- There seems to be an air of unreality, as though the war were a million miles away.
- The painting lent an air of quality to the other items on the mantel, all inexpensive purchases.
- An air of mystery surrounds plans being drawn up for a new road that will cut out the bad bends at the notorious Cononley Lane Ends.
- His malapropisms and good old boy manner give him the air of a simpleton, and yet he's not.
- Cameron, cast against type, has to subvert his usually dignified air to portray a crooked and downbeat wastrel.
- More than anything else, this wretched film has about it an intense air of unreality.
- A goatee instantly adds an air of distinguished maturity to one's appearance.
- Rather, the American industrial and technological scene is endowed with an air of epic grandeur.
- A faint air of hopelessness overcomes McWhorter as our conversation winds down.
- The questions even became a shade less hostile as his new air of poise impressed the panel.
- When they come through here on the way to Europe they have a gay, free, happy air.
- He is about 41, with iron grey hair, round glasses, and a faint air of irony.
- Their administrative overhaul and strong recruiting lent an air of excitement to the holiday sunshine.
- The whitewashed walls gave it an air of space and light, despite the lack of windows.
- It added an air of eeriness and unreality to the situation that made Joe feel sick to the pit of his stomach.
- The reason was the absolute perfection of her appearance and her air of invincible superiority.
- In a way, their story is much more interesting for the deliberate air of mystique they cultivate.
- For the moment though, an air of normality appeared to be returning to Istanbul.
- A big crowd had come and there was a certain air of hope - even if at times it appeared a little forced.
- If Roux carries with him an air of grandeur - and I do detect just a whiff - well, perhaps he can be forgiven for it.
- There's an air of calm about the place, an aura of tranquillity.
Synonyms
expression, appearance, look, impression, aspect, manner, bearing, mien, countenance
mood, quality, ambience, aura, feeling, flavour, tone
informal vibe
1. 2.1airs An annoyingly affected and condescending manner.
  he began to put on airs and think he could boss us around
  Example sentencesExamples
  Lady Catherine is one of the main offenders, her airs, arrogance and pride are fuelled by other characters like Mr Collins.
  Next time you pick up the phone, ask yourself whether you tend to put on any artificial airs and start from there.
  The main reason I feel this is that when you date, pretense and airs are, well, up in the air.
  In any case, Byrne, who has been acting professionally since she was 13, isn't the type to put on airs.
  She didn't seem to put on airs or act as if she was better then him.
  Rosalinda, who was also invited to Prince Orlofsky's party, arrives there, masked, affecting the airs of a Hungarian countess.
  Beth didn't put on airs, and she liked people who were the same way.
  Not for her the tendency to put on airs and throwing star tantrums.
  But then again, he had never been one to put on airs.
  Alice's sharp wit and blunt pronouncements could be intimidating, but if you didn't put on airs and weren't a fool, she was fiercely loyal and endlessly forgiving.
  He is the prince of a southern political family, but without unusual arrogance or over-the-top airs of entitlement.
  She is always the same whether you meet her at private dinner parties or big public occasions: she has absolutely no ' airs ' to her.
  There were no celeb airs about him.
  I have not slept in a solid bed for three weeks, you haughty wench, and I'll not have your condescending airs and your reproachful glances!
  In other words, they - most of the people that are very successful in life - put on airs.
  But she does not put on airs, as other girls do; she is quite natural and - though, I must admit, not my personal favourite - a lovely person.
  She affects no artistic airs and harbours few highfalutin’ notions about the mystique or cultural sanctity of opera.
  Synonyms
  affectation, pretentiousness, condescension, affectedness, pretension, elitism, snobbishness, arrogance, pride, haughtiness, airs, airs and graces, disdain, disdainfulness, superciliousness, exclusiveness
3Music
A tune or short melodious song.
traditional Scottish airs sung in the Gaelic tongue
Example sentencesExamples
- Helena Bell gave a first class performance of Celtic airs and received a very warm applause.
- The talented Dordan group has won widespread acclaim for their unique sound - a blend of lively traditional jigs and reels, haunting slow airs, traditional songs along with mazurkas, sonatinas and waltzes.
- He also laments, though in milder terms, the old-world style of Bach's choruses and airs.
- In the 17th century popular ballads were sung to the traditional airs; these were published in great numbers during the 18th century.
- Expect to hear a varied repertoire of original tunes and airs along with a choice of songs by Irish singer-songwriters and composers arranged by this dynamic duo.
Synonyms
tune, melody, song, theme, strain, refrain, piece, aria
literary lay
4A jump off the ground on a snowboard or skateboard.
Example sentencesExamples
- John was easily doing triple swith-ups and big airs out of the coping.
- I love to watch Richie ride; he's my fave, some style and clean airs.
- When it first opened, Pete would come in there and have the smoothest style and do the biggest airs.
- I just learned backside airs, and I was trying to tweak them out.
- Brian Patch did body jars, backside airs, transfer lines and skated fast to 3rd place.

verb ɛːɛr

[with object]

1Express (an opinion or grievance) publicly.
a meeting in which long-standing grievances were aired
Example sentencesExamples
- Last week food experts aired their concerns about the amount of salt content in our food.
- More than 100 people aired their views on what should happen to a two kilometre stretch of land along the River Wharfe.
- There are those in this area who hate him, but are afraid to air their grievances publicly.
- Although the Government has set a time for people to air their views, will they really take any notice?
- You certainly had a few Democrats airing their grievances!
- I firmly believe that everyone should have the right to air their grievances in court.
- More than that, they tried to label those airing the concerns as being opposed to job creation, etc.
- It is a new show that will give members of the public the chance to air their opinions on a range of hot topics.
- Although the language used is different, the same grievances are being aired.
- It is has only been written for one reason, and one reason only, to air my opinion.
- When an opportunity arises for people to air their views, it is a shame not to take it.
- The view was aired at a stormy community meeting in which householders living near the site were given information about the Heslington East proposals.
- The idea that they should be prevented from airing their opinions appals me.
- People wanting to air their views about the scheme have until the end of April.
- MPs have aired their concerns about police funding and Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion saying they are gravely concerned about the effect on front-line policing.
- We could set up a public forum to discuss these issues and allow grievances to be aired.
- The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision.
- Complaints about young people drinking in the Millennium town Park were aired at last week's meeting of the Town Council.
- I do have strong opinions, although, of course, no easy solutions, but this is not the place to air those opinions.
- We were not trying to reach any conclusion, it was more an opportunity for people to air their views.
Synonyms
express, voice, make public, vent, ventilate, articulate, state, declare, give expression to, give voice to
make known, publicize, publish, disseminate, circulate, communicate, spread, promulgate, broadcast
reveal, announce, proclaim, divulge, submit, raise, moot, propose
discuss, debate
have one's say
1. 1.1 Broadcast (a programme) on radio or television.
  the programmes were aired on India's state TV network
  Example sentencesExamples
  Last week the BBC aired a television programme that contained evidence of a problem with drink and drug misuse among doctors in the United Kingdom.
  The television station kept airing exit polls, claiming that the party had scored a landslide victory in both the parliamentary and local elections.
  The programme would be aired on the Amrita television channel, which is being launched soon.
  Just like the Internet, radio stations will be able to monitor programmes being transmitted or aired by another radio station that is connected to the network.
  Part 2 of ‘The Great Outdoors’ show shot at Hyner View State Park was aired last Sunday night on the local Fox station in Northeast, PA.
  Highlights from the gig will be aired on Radio 1 across the week.
  BTV aired an interview with a former member of the Russian Federal Service for Security.
  A few years after the Allied victory, NBC television aired a remarkable documentary series.
  On Oct. 9, the pair will air TV ads touting the attraction.
  This was as a result of the recent ‘Secret Agent’ television programme aired last week on BBC one.
  NBC's "Nightly News" aired part of the interview Thursday.
  New games are unlocked every Tuesday as each new episode is aired on television in this ever-expanding online treasure-trove.
  Every day, Dominica's Broadcasting Corporation airs a radio programme exclusively about bananas, drawing an avid audience from all over this tiny Caribbean island.
  However, since the World Cup started on May 31, he has not been enthusiastic about working, especially during the time when the matches are aired on television.
  The event was aired on local BBC television, and the dam of emotion burst.
  Big Screen Birmingham airs the live event from the Royal Albert Hall.
  The party airs its first election broadcast tonight.
  The new television campaign will be aired during top rated programmes and, according to Miller, will reach 90 per cent of all Irish adults.
  This service was broadcast worldwide on the Internet and will be aired on television and/or radio in the near future.
  Programme developers get the chance to see their programme commissioned and aired on Radio Five Live.
  Synonyms
  broadcast, transmit, beam, send/put out, televise, show, telecast, relay, put on the air/airwaves, disseminate
  informal screen
2. 1.2archaic Parade or show (something) ostentatiously.
  he took the opportunity of airing his knowledge of antiquity
  Example sentencesExamples
  The extremely practical and funky knee length side zips with popper storm flaps allow ankles to be aired and calves exposed.
  Synonyms
  display, exhibit, make a show of, flaunt, show, show off, demonstrate, draw attention to
2British Expose (a room) to the open air in order to ventilate it.
the window sashes were lifted regularly to air the room
Example sentencesExamples
- He returned to the room to greet his guest, leaving the double doors open to air out the room.
- It may be wise to actually close this place now, so that you can air out this room properly before the start of the next season.
- I'm trying to air the house to get rid of the last traces of the petrol smell.
- Try to avoid foods that seem to trigger your symptoms; air rooms well so that cooking or tobacco smells don't build up.
- It took me all of last night just to do my bedroom, and because I had to air the room after vacuuming, I had to sleep downstairs on the hard floor.
- All windows are open to air the rooms and with only shutters to keep out little intruders the level of noise is unbearable.
- With no windows to open to air the place out, the only thing the Blues could do was import some industrial-sized fans to circulate the air.
- And these particular rooms were aired only for a barbarian envoy or a member of the merchant class.
Synonyms
ventilate, aerate, freshen, refresh, cool, air-condition
1. 2.1 Warm (washed laundry) to remove dampness.
  I was airing the sheets
  Example sentencesExamples
  Well, by now, hopefully the flags have been aired and the jerseys washed.
  She walks to the back of the house, where Alyssa is trying to air out the sheets.
  A new regulation to be adopted soon bans locals from airing their laundry in some downtown streets.
  I asked my mother one day, airing out the sheets.
  Feather mattresses removed, aired and fluffed before being put back in their place.
  The completed items would be kept in storage for as long as necessary, brought out to be washed and aired occasionally, and jealously guarded.
2. 2.2air oneselfarchaic Go out in the fresh air.
  to go and air myself in my native fields

Phrases

airs and graces

derogatory An affectation of superiority.
young master Tristan, with his fancy education and his airs and graces
Example sentencesExamples
- Brighton, for all its airs and graces, is a very provincial town, and I like it that way.
- You've taken on a few airs and graces lately, haven't you Tim?
- Demanding divas could take lessons from her easygoing nature; she may take her profession seriously but she harbours no personal airs and graces whatsoever.
- He had no airs and graces and he was always interested in what you were saying.
- He was at Man United but there's no airs and graces about Teddy.
- There were no airs and graces about Hedley, he was a very gentle fella and it was an honour to have known him.
- They don't try to put on airs and graces - they just say what they mean which is good.
- At each prison, however, he has been accused of adopting unsuitable airs and graces, demanding - and receiving - what is perceived to be special treatment.
- Despite being raised the daughter of a brigadier, and despite stints at both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, there are no airs and graces to Juliet Stevenson.
- But despite mingling with the stars, he has few airs and graces and regularly returns home to Lancaster to help in the family restaurant.
Synonyms
affectations, pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, posing, posturing, pretence

in the air

Felt by a number of people to be happening or about to happen.
panic was in the air
you can tell there's an election in the air
Example sentencesExamples
- It is still not quite the real thing but it is getting closer, you can smell it in the air.
- It is a bit more honest, I suppose, but means that there is no real magic in the air.
- As the tower prepares to welcome the public again, there is a frisson of anxiety in the air.
- Change is also in the air for the farming industry at the bottom of the food chain.
- Panic and terror could be smelt in the air and that sensation of worry clenched at his gut.
- As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air.
- If there was a clear sense of nervousness in the air, it was tangible on the ground.
- It takes the band a couple of songs to hit their flow and as they do you can feel the change in the air.
- You feel a certain wrongness in the air and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as unseen eyes watch you.
- At most of our shows there is just a good feeling in the air with people having a good time.
Synonyms
going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind

on (or off) the air

Being (or not being) broadcast on radio or television.
the wacky series has been on the air for ten years
Example sentencesExamples
- She looked upon them as her friends and as part of an inter-dependent team that put the station on the air.
- Ask the family for the photograph of the victim that they would most like to see in the paper or on the air.
- What do you wish you could tell your viewers that you will never be able to tell them on the air?
- As the station came on the air for the first time, its technicians walked out.
- Ever wonder where those morning radio shows get all that wacky news they read on the air?
- Broadcast of the series was held up by a strike that took ITV off the air for over two months.
- Radio stations were off the air because transformers were hit by lightning.
- RTE television was off the air completely during the day - not even a testcard was broadcast - just static.
- My father was into acting on stage and was also on the air as a radio DJ.
- Let's just get all the disc jockeys off the air and let muzak fill the airwaves!

take the air

Go out of doors.
I had a sudden feeling to get out and take the air
Synonyms
stroll, saunter, amble, wend one's way, trudge, plod, hike, tramp, trek, march, stride, troop, patrol, step out, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, footslog, promenade, roam, traipse

up in the air

(of a plan or issue) still to be settled; unresolved.
the fate of the power station is up in the air
Example sentencesExamples
- He's now in his final year of study and the future is still a bit up in the air.
- What happens beyond that or where it will take place is as up in the air as his plans in high school.
- Its own future is in doubt at this point and sources suggest the situation is now totally up in the air.
- Nothing was happening, the whole thing was up in the air and was a complete shambles.
- It's still up in the air because the file folders in which we found them had no labels.
- As the company has just recently changed hands and still seems to be up in the air, I don't know who to contact about it.
- The future of the women's volleyball team is up in the air as it is the final season for many of the players.
- It doesn't look good for the democrats at the moment, but it's still up in the air.
- Is there going to be resolution this week, or is it going to be left up in the air as it has been in the past?
- At this stage his future is very much up in the air as is the possibility of him remaining a United player.
Synonyms
uncertain, unknown, undetermined, unsettled, unresolved, unsure, pending, in the balance, in limbo, in no man's land, debatable, open to question, in doubt

walk (or tread) on air

Feel elated.
most couples feel they are walking on air on their wedding day
Example sentencesExamples
- Showing off their repertoire of skills in Roundhay Park, the unassuming brothers admitted they were walking on air.
- Grant, who hails from Strensall, admitted he had been walking on air ever since he was told he was being called-up into the senior squad
- He felt like he was walking on air when his winning number was called and he was handed a pair of autographed boots by the great man himself.
- Kacey said: ‘I'm walking on air, I was so chuffed to receive the invitation and the kind words.’
- Sara smiled back and walked on air as she left the room.
- Mr Ahmed said: ‘I felt like a celebrity and I am still walking on air from everything that happened.’
- And all that day, and week and most of that year I felt I was walking on air, like the feeling you get when you're in love.
- But it wasn't anyone else, it was James and I was walking on air.
- His dad told the Evening Press: ‘If you asked whether he was walking on air at the moment the answer would have to be yes!’
- And he is now walking on air because he feels like he's gotten the attention of everybody in this country and that's important to him.
Synonyms
contented, content, cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, joking, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, glowing, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific, blessed

Origin

Middle English (in sense 1 of the noun): from Old French air, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr, denoting the gas. sense 2 of the noun is from French air, probably from Old French aire 'site, disposition', from Latin ager, agr- 'field' (influenced by sense 1). sense 3 of the noun comes from Italian aria (see aria).

1 The main modern sense of air, ‘the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth’ entered English via Old French and Latin from Greek aēr. Aerial (late 16th century), meaning ‘a rod or wire by which signals are transmitted or received’ and ‘existing or happening in the air’, comes from the same source, along with the Italian word aria (early 18th century). Aerobic (late 19th century) is from aēr combined with Greek bios ‘live’.
2 The senses of air ‘an impression or manner’ and ‘a condescending manner’ (as in she gave herself airs) are probably from a completely different word, Old French aire ‘site, disposition’, which derives from Latin ager ‘field’, the root of English words such as agriculture (Late Middle English). Airy-fairy (mid 19th century) ‘impractical and foolishly idealistic’, was originally used to mean ‘delicate or light as a fairy’. The English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), in his poem ‘Lilian’ (1830), described the subject as ‘Airy, fairy Lilian, Flitting, fairy Lilian’. See also gas

Rhymes

affair, affaire, Altair, Althusser, Anvers, Apollinaire, Astaire, aware, Ayer, Ayr, bare, bear, bêche-de-mer, beware, billionaire, Blair, blare, Bonaire, cafetière, care, chair, chargé d'affaires, chemin de fer, Cher, Clair, Claire, Clare, commissionaire, compare, concessionaire, cordon sanitaire, couvert, Daguerre, dare, debonair, declare, derrière, despair, doctrinaire, éclair, e'er, elsewhere, ensnare, ere, extraordinaire, Eyre, fair, fare, fayre, Finisterre, flair, flare, Folies-Bergère, forbear, forswear, foursquare, glair, glare, hair, hare, heir, Herr, impair, jardinière, Khmer, Kildare, La Bruyère, lair, laissez-faire, legionnaire, luminaire, mal de mer, mare, mayor, meunière, mid-air, millionaire, misère, Mon-Khmer, multimillionaire, ne'er, Niger, nom de guerre, outstare, outwear, pair, pare, parterre, pear, père, pied-à-terre, Pierre, plein-air, prayer, questionnaire, rare, ready-to-wear, rivière, Rosslare, Santander, savoir faire, scare, secretaire, share, snare, solitaire, Soufrière, spare, square, stair, stare, surface-to-air, swear, Tailleferre, tare, tear, their, there, they're, vin ordinaire, Voltaire, ware, wear, Weston-super-Mare, where, yeah

Definition of air in US English:

air

nounɛrer

1The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
Example sentencesExamples
- There was a hole in the floor through which poured a festive mixture of frigid air and diesel fumes.
- Exposing the fabric to the oxygen in air and heating it for a while changes the molecules back to indigo.
- At almost 5,000 ft, it is surrounded by rarefied air, seductive silence and dreamy peaks.
- Oxygen is heavier than air, so it can collect in low areas, such as the lower airway.
- Before long, the hot air inside the balloon is less dense than the cool air that surrounds it.
- We never closed the curtains and were consistently surrounded by light and air.
- Hence, toxic substances in air can easily reach the lung and produce harmful effects locally and in other organs.
- Beat the butter into the chocolate and cream, trying not to get any air into the mixture.
- The chilled air surrounded him as he trudged off towards his car parked only a few feet away.
- The engine is normal and the mixture of air / fuel is right when the color of the plug is tan.
- The plant leaves suck pollution out of the air and cool the rooftop and surrounding air considerably.
- The air sizzled as oxygen was greedily consumed by the roiling ball of fire.
- The surface tension of water is increased, and even the density of air surrounding the Earth ebbs and flows like the tides in the sea.
- The most familiar cause of hypoxic hypoxia is the low oxygen content of air at high altitude.
- Whatever he became in that no-man's land he was a ghost, invisible as air.
- When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to err on the safe side and add air or nitrogen to your tires.
- The soybean takes nitrogen from air in the soil and fixes it in nodules on its roots.
- Most victims were long gone, to hospitals or morgues, and their attackers were as invisible as air.
- It is a natural process for a fire to draw in air to consume its oxygen.
- In gasification, crushed coal is reacted with steam and either air or pure oxygen.
1. 1.1 Air regarded as necessary for breathing.
  the air was stale
  the doctor told me to get some fresh air
  Example sentencesExamples
  She once again inhaled the autumn air and then jumped back in her car.
  Breathing fresh air is vital, so get outdoors as much as possible.
  It seemed many long minutes before Giles came back up for air.
  The water pushed her upwards, though, and soon she was back on the surface, gasping for air.
  For many, the north shore still holds the allure of country life with historic towns, cleaner air and a slower pace of life.
  When I emerged from the ground I felt the warm breeze of the evening on my face and took my first breaths of fresh air.
  I do believe that being able to breathe fresh mountain air, see the sea or green hills all the time does a lot for one's spirit.
  What seems like winter cold symptoms can often be allergic reactions to dust and fungus in stale, heated indoor air.
  They suffocated and strangled me simultaneously, and I had to fight to surface for air.
  A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities.
  I stood on the precipice gulping air, awestruck.
  He had seen enough and was having trouble breathing because the air was thin.
  Automobile exhaust fumes have become a major contributor to air pollution globally.
  Children from far away cities came here for summer camps to breathe the sea air and eat fresh fish.
  After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe the fresh desert air.
  My body heat rose to my face in the cool, stale bus air.
  He wrestled her arm away long enough to gasp a few precious seconds of air from the surface before going under.
  Why do we have to leave our cities and towns to breathe fresh air?
  The ban is meant to boost air quality by reducing smoke.
  As I rested day after day in the sun, breathing the fresh air, God slowly turned my life around.
  Synonyms
  going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind
2. 1.2 The free or unconfined space above the surface of the earth.
  he celebrated by tossing his hat high in the air
  Example sentencesExamples
  Cheers and whistles filled the air.
  It would fly up in the air and you had to hit it again as far as you could.
  I watched as the ground slipped farther and farther away as we were pulled into air, then space.
  Mr Cooper, who had been in front of his brother, said he heard a noise and looked back to see Andrew with his hands up in the air.
  Murray is succeeding by keeping the ball out of the air and on the ground.
  Ultimately, one of the dog's hind legs shoots up in the air, as its head goes down.
  People have invaded the earth and the air; even the surface of the water is sliced through with boats.
  Think about it like this: If you stand on the ground and jump into the air, you burn about ten calories.
  The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air.
  Bright-orange flocks of butterflies fill the air - the migrating monarchs.
  Her reflection in the sparkling water below and in the clear blue air above stretches to infinity.
  Wolves have launched an inquiry into how Mrs Butler was hurt by a firework that should have flown straight up in the air.
  Cirrus clouds indicated the distant approach of a trough, both in the surface and upper air.
  Despite the visual high of watching a superhero leaping across rooftops or swinging through the air at incredibly dangerous speeds, the film is really a love story.
  Divots can be seen flying through the air.
  Experts say that if the volcano erupts, it might throw hot rocks into the air above the surface of the sea.
  The air above this sea ice is deprived of heat and moisture from the ocean.
  Synonyms
  sky, heavens, ether
3. 1.3usually as modifier Referring to the use of aircraft.
  air traffic
  all goods must come in by air
  Example sentencesExamples
  The government started also bombing us from above, from the air.
  Information was a major enabler of this strike and of the air campaign that followed.
  Six weeks on people were beginning to come back to air travel.
  The quest for offensive power did its part to make the loss of air superiority permanent.
  Defeat came from air superiority in the west and numerical superiority in the east.
  At the time no one realized that this was the aircraft which would win the air war over the Pacific.
  They are searching in cars, on foot and from the air.
  It is one of the ugliest cities I've ever seen, from the air.
  Further events followed in the afternoon including air displays and model aircraft flying.
  It was the third major air disaster involving aircraft flying in or out of the airport in the space of eight years.
  The Convention provides an exclusive legal framework for the settlement of disputes arising out of the international carriage of goods (and passengers) by air.
  The bad news for air travelers is that in the long term, fares are bound to increase.
  Suppose the world population is housed, educated and fed and wants air travel on tap?
  It has since been implemented at all the air logistics centers, albeit in a limited capacity.
  This success led to an order directing all military airfields to have an air ambulance.
  Nimitz knew that the battle that would ensue would involve aircraft and air supremacy.
  As we were taxiing out to the strip I saw some air activity east of the field.
  Bomber Command's air offensive against Germany was one of the epic campaigns of World War II.
  In a world in which air travel would continue to become cheaper, tourism here had to build on quality.
  To facilitate the customer you need to have access by road, by air and by the normal routes.
4. 1.4 The earth's atmosphere as a medium for transmitting radio waves.
  radio stations have successfully sold products over the air
  Example sentencesExamples
  The idea that comes to my mind is to do a TV show, but to do it strictly online rather than over the air.
  In theory the network can send its logo over the air - as with a Nokia phone - in practice they won't.
  But they're sending your confidential data over the air through a broadcast system.
5. 1.5 Air considered as one of the four elements in ancient philosophy and in astrology (associated with the signs of Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra).
  Example sentencesExamples
  Bring the element of air into the environment with wind chimes and fans.
  As an air sign, Aquarius relates to places that are high off the ground or above the general eye line.
  The diagram shows, for instance, that the combination of hot and cold produces the element of air and the humour of blood.
  So if the chart is cast for noon then Saturn acts as the triplicity ruler of all the air signs; at midnight Mercury would be used instead.
  He is said to have believed in fire and air as basic elements and thought of the world as a living being with God as its soul.
  In vedic astrology, Virgo has some qualities of air, because Mercury is considered an airy planet for them.
  The air signs are the guys who seem self-obsessed but spend most of their time with other people.
  The lack of air in a birth chart can indicate difficulty in the expression of that person.
  Neither buildings nor people can escape the logic of the elements of fire and air.
  As an air sign, Libra likes to keep things light, bright and positive.
6. 1.6 A breeze or light wind.
  See also light air
  Example sentencesExamples
  In the light airs, the crews must step gingerly around the boat to retain boatspeed.
  From the mobile start line near the east shore north of Hen Holme, the fleet of 12 yachts spread out across the lake in light airs.
  From the mobile start line north of Rough Holme, Naiad got away well in the light south-westerly airs and reached the windward mark at Claife with a narrow lead.
  Sailing performance is very respectable particularly in light to moderate air.
  They've had sea swells of 40 metres and snow, followed by light airs.
  All of the heroes that is, except for the heroes of the airs… of the winds.
  Light winds make finding carp that much harder, so let's just take a look at a few ways of hopefully getting on fish when light airs are the order of the day.
  Synonyms
  breeze, draught, wind
7. 1.7 Air conditioning.
2An impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something.
she answered with a faint air of boredom
he leaned over with a confidential air
Example sentencesExamples
- In a way, their story is much more interesting for the deliberate air of mystique they cultivate.
- Cameron, cast against type, has to subvert his usually dignified air to portray a crooked and downbeat wastrel.
- If Roux carries with him an air of grandeur - and I do detect just a whiff - well, perhaps he can be forgiven for it.
- A goatee instantly adds an air of distinguished maturity to one's appearance.
- The painting lent an air of quality to the other items on the mantel, all inexpensive purchases.
- Rather, the American industrial and technological scene is endowed with an air of epic grandeur.
- An air of mystery surrounds plans being drawn up for a new road that will cut out the bad bends at the notorious Cononley Lane Ends.
- There seems to be an air of unreality, as though the war were a million miles away.
- More than anything else, this wretched film has about it an intense air of unreality.
- A big crowd had come and there was a certain air of hope - even if at times it appeared a little forced.
- The questions even became a shade less hostile as his new air of poise impressed the panel.
- There's an air of calm about the place, an aura of tranquillity.
- His malapropisms and good old boy manner give him the air of a simpleton, and yet he's not.
- The reason was the absolute perfection of her appearance and her air of invincible superiority.
- The whitewashed walls gave it an air of space and light, despite the lack of windows.
- Their administrative overhaul and strong recruiting lent an air of excitement to the holiday sunshine.
- He is about 41, with iron grey hair, round glasses, and a faint air of irony.
- It added an air of eeriness and unreality to the situation that made Joe feel sick to the pit of his stomach.
- For the moment though, an air of normality appeared to be returning to Istanbul.
- A faint air of hopelessness overcomes McWhorter as our conversation winds down.
- When they come through here on the way to Europe they have a gay, free, happy air.
Synonyms
expression, appearance, look, impression, aspect, manner, bearing, mien, countenance
1. 2.1airs An annoyingly affected and condescending manner.
  he began to put on airs and think he could boss us around
  Example sentencesExamples
  She affects no artistic airs and harbours few highfalutin’ notions about the mystique or cultural sanctity of opera.
  She is always the same whether you meet her at private dinner parties or big public occasions: she has absolutely no ' airs ' to her.
  Next time you pick up the phone, ask yourself whether you tend to put on any artificial airs and start from there.
  In any case, Byrne, who has been acting professionally since she was 13, isn't the type to put on airs.
  Beth didn't put on airs, and she liked people who were the same way.
  But she does not put on airs, as other girls do; she is quite natural and - though, I must admit, not my personal favourite - a lovely person.
  Alice's sharp wit and blunt pronouncements could be intimidating, but if you didn't put on airs and weren't a fool, she was fiercely loyal and endlessly forgiving.
  The main reason I feel this is that when you date, pretense and airs are, well, up in the air.
  Rosalinda, who was also invited to Prince Orlofsky's party, arrives there, masked, affecting the airs of a Hungarian countess.
  In other words, they - most of the people that are very successful in life - put on airs.
  Lady Catherine is one of the main offenders, her airs, arrogance and pride are fuelled by other characters like Mr Collins.
  He is the prince of a southern political family, but without unusual arrogance or over-the-top airs of entitlement.
  I have not slept in a solid bed for three weeks, you haughty wench, and I'll not have your condescending airs and your reproachful glances!
  But then again, he had never been one to put on airs.
  There were no celeb airs about him.
  Not for her the tendency to put on airs and throwing star tantrums.
  She didn't seem to put on airs or act as if she was better then him.
  Synonyms
  affectation, pretentiousness, condescension, affectedness, pretension, elitism, snobbishness, arrogance, pride, haughtiness, airs, airs and graces, disdain, disdainfulness, superciliousness, exclusiveness
3Music
A tune or short melodious composition, typically a song.
Example sentencesExamples
- Helena Bell gave a first class performance of Celtic airs and received a very warm applause.
- The talented Dordan group has won widespread acclaim for their unique sound - a blend of lively traditional jigs and reels, haunting slow airs, traditional songs along with mazurkas, sonatinas and waltzes.
- Expect to hear a varied repertoire of original tunes and airs along with a choice of songs by Irish singer-songwriters and composers arranged by this dynamic duo.
- In the 17th century popular ballads were sung to the traditional airs; these were published in great numbers during the 18th century.
- He also laments, though in milder terms, the old-world style of Bach's choruses and airs.
Synonyms
tune, melody, song, theme, strain, refrain, piece, aria
4A jump off the ground on a snowboard or skateboard.
Example sentencesExamples
- Brian Patch did body jars, backside airs, transfer lines and skated fast to 3rd place.
- John was easily doing triple swith-ups and big airs out of the coping.
- When it first opened, Pete would come in there and have the smoothest style and do the biggest airs.
- I just learned backside airs, and I was trying to tweak them out.
- I love to watch Richie ride; he's my fave, some style and clean airs.

verbɛrer

1with object Express (an opinion or grievance) publicly.
a meeting in which long-standing grievances were aired
Example sentencesExamples
- I firmly believe that everyone should have the right to air their grievances in court.
- We could set up a public forum to discuss these issues and allow grievances to be aired.
- People wanting to air their views about the scheme have until the end of April.
- It is a new show that will give members of the public the chance to air their opinions on a range of hot topics.
- Although the Government has set a time for people to air their views, will they really take any notice?
- MPs have aired their concerns about police funding and Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion saying they are gravely concerned about the effect on front-line policing.
- The idea that they should be prevented from airing their opinions appals me.
- More than 100 people aired their views on what should happen to a two kilometre stretch of land along the River Wharfe.
- The view was aired at a stormy community meeting in which householders living near the site were given information about the Heslington East proposals.
- When an opportunity arises for people to air their views, it is a shame not to take it.
- The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision.
- We were not trying to reach any conclusion, it was more an opportunity for people to air their views.
- Although the language used is different, the same grievances are being aired.
- Complaints about young people drinking in the Millennium town Park were aired at last week's meeting of the Town Council.
- Last week food experts aired their concerns about the amount of salt content in our food.
- I do have strong opinions, although, of course, no easy solutions, but this is not the place to air those opinions.
- There are those in this area who hate him, but are afraid to air their grievances publicly.
- You certainly had a few Democrats airing their grievances!
- It is has only been written for one reason, and one reason only, to air my opinion.
- More than that, they tried to label those airing the concerns as being opposed to job creation, etc.
Synonyms
express, voice, make public, vent, ventilate, articulate, state, declare, give expression to, give voice to
1. 1.1 Broadcast (a program) on radio or television.
  the programs were aired on India's state TV network
  Example sentencesExamples
  Highlights from the gig will be aired on Radio 1 across the week.
  BTV aired an interview with a former member of the Russian Federal Service for Security.
  NBC's "Nightly News" aired part of the interview Thursday.
  This service was broadcast worldwide on the Internet and will be aired on television and/or radio in the near future.
  Last week the BBC aired a television programme that contained evidence of a problem with drink and drug misuse among doctors in the United Kingdom.
  Every day, Dominica's Broadcasting Corporation airs a radio programme exclusively about bananas, drawing an avid audience from all over this tiny Caribbean island.
  Part 2 of ‘The Great Outdoors’ show shot at Hyner View State Park was aired last Sunday night on the local Fox station in Northeast, PA.
  On Oct. 9, the pair will air TV ads touting the attraction.
  However, since the World Cup started on May 31, he has not been enthusiastic about working, especially during the time when the matches are aired on television.
  The television station kept airing exit polls, claiming that the party had scored a landslide victory in both the parliamentary and local elections.
  The party airs its first election broadcast tonight.
  New games are unlocked every Tuesday as each new episode is aired on television in this ever-expanding online treasure-trove.
  Just like the Internet, radio stations will be able to monitor programmes being transmitted or aired by another radio station that is connected to the network.
  Programme developers get the chance to see their programme commissioned and aired on Radio Five Live.
  The event was aired on local BBC television, and the dam of emotion burst.
  This was as a result of the recent ‘Secret Agent’ television programme aired last week on BBC one.
  The new television campaign will be aired during top rated programmes and, according to Miller, will reach 90 per cent of all Irish adults.
  The programme would be aired on the Amrita television channel, which is being launched soon.
  A few years after the Allied victory, NBC television aired a remarkable documentary series.
  Big Screen Birmingham airs the live event from the Royal Albert Hall.
  Synonyms
  broadcast, transmit, beam, put out, send out, televise, show, telecast, relay, put on the air, put on the airwaves, disseminate
2. 1.2archaic Parade or show (something) ostentatiously.
  airing a snowy hand and signet ring
  Example sentencesExamples
  The extremely practical and funky knee length side zips with popper storm flaps allow ankles to be aired and calves exposed.
  Synonyms
  display, exhibit, make a show of, flaunt, show, show off, demonstrate, draw attention to
2British with object Expose (a room) to the open air in order to ventilate it.
the window sashes were lifted regularly to air the room
Example sentencesExamples
- All windows are open to air the rooms and with only shutters to keep out little intruders the level of noise is unbearable.
- I'm trying to air the house to get rid of the last traces of the petrol smell.
- It may be wise to actually close this place now, so that you can air out this room properly before the start of the next season.
- And these particular rooms were aired only for a barbarian envoy or a member of the merchant class.
- Try to avoid foods that seem to trigger your symptoms; air rooms well so that cooking or tobacco smells don't build up.
- It took me all of last night just to do my bedroom, and because I had to air the room after vacuuming, I had to sleep downstairs on the hard floor.
- With no windows to open to air the place out, the only thing the Blues could do was import some industrial-sized fans to circulate the air.
- He returned to the room to greet his guest, leaving the double doors open to air out the room.
Synonyms
ventilate, aerate, freshen, refresh, cool, air-condition
1. 2.1air oneselfarchaic Go out in the fresh air.

Phrases

airs and graces

derogatory An affectation of superiority.
Example sentencesExamples
- There were no airs and graces about Hedley, he was a very gentle fella and it was an honour to have known him.
- You've taken on a few airs and graces lately, haven't you Tim?
- Demanding divas could take lessons from her easygoing nature; she may take her profession seriously but she harbours no personal airs and graces whatsoever.
- He had no airs and graces and he was always interested in what you were saying.
- Despite being raised the daughter of a brigadier, and despite stints at both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, there are no airs and graces to Juliet Stevenson.
- He was at Man United but there's no airs and graces about Teddy.
- At each prison, however, he has been accused of adopting unsuitable airs and graces, demanding - and receiving - what is perceived to be special treatment.
- They don't try to put on airs and graces - they just say what they mean which is good.
- But despite mingling with the stars, he has few airs and graces and regularly returns home to Lancaster to help in the family restaurant.
- Brighton, for all its airs and graces, is a very provincial town, and I like it that way.
Synonyms
affectations, pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, posing, posturing, pretence

in the air

Noticeable all around; becoming prevalent.
I smell violence in the air
Example sentencesExamples
- As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air.
- Change is also in the air for the farming industry at the bottom of the food chain.
- It is a bit more honest, I suppose, but means that there is no real magic in the air.
- It is still not quite the real thing but it is getting closer, you can smell it in the air.
- You feel a certain wrongness in the air and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as unseen eyes watch you.
- It takes the band a couple of songs to hit their flow and as they do you can feel the change in the air.
- At most of our shows there is just a good feeling in the air with people having a good time.
- As the tower prepares to welcome the public again, there is a frisson of anxiety in the air.
- If there was a clear sense of nervousness in the air, it was tangible on the ground.
- Panic and terror could be smelt in the air and that sensation of worry clenched at his gut.
Synonyms
going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind

on (or off) the air

Being (or not being) broadcast on radio or television.
Example sentencesExamples
- Ever wonder where those morning radio shows get all that wacky news they read on the air?
- Ask the family for the photograph of the victim that they would most like to see in the paper or on the air.
- RTE television was off the air completely during the day - not even a testcard was broadcast - just static.
- What do you wish you could tell your viewers that you will never be able to tell them on the air?
- Broadcast of the series was held up by a strike that took ITV off the air for over two months.
- She looked upon them as her friends and as part of an inter-dependent team that put the station on the air.
- My father was into acting on stage and was also on the air as a radio DJ.
- As the station came on the air for the first time, its technicians walked out.
- Let's just get all the disc jockeys off the air and let muzak fill the airwaves!
- Radio stations were off the air because transformers were hit by lightning.

take the air

Go out of doors.
Synonyms
stroll, saunter, amble, wend one's way, trudge, plod, hike, tramp, trek, march, stride, troop, patrol, step out, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, footslog, promenade, roam, traipse

up in the air

(of a plan or issue) still to be settled; unresolved.
the fate of the power station is up in the air
Example sentencesExamples
- He's now in his final year of study and the future is still a bit up in the air.
- It's still up in the air because the file folders in which we found them had no labels.
- What happens beyond that or where it will take place is as up in the air as his plans in high school.
- Its own future is in doubt at this point and sources suggest the situation is now totally up in the air.
- Is there going to be resolution this week, or is it going to be left up in the air as it has been in the past?
- It doesn't look good for the democrats at the moment, but it's still up in the air.
- The future of the women's volleyball team is up in the air as it is the final season for many of the players.
- Nothing was happening, the whole thing was up in the air and was a complete shambles.
- As the company has just recently changed hands and still seems to be up in the air, I don't know who to contact about it.
- At this stage his future is very much up in the air as is the possibility of him remaining a United player.
Synonyms
uncertain, unknown, undetermined, unsettled, unresolved, unsure, pending, in the balance, in limbo, in no man's land, debatable, open to question, in doubt

walk (or tread) on air

Feel elated.
Example sentencesExamples
- But it wasn't anyone else, it was James and I was walking on air.
- His dad told the Evening Press: ‘If you asked whether he was walking on air at the moment the answer would have to be yes!’
- Mr Ahmed said: ‘I felt like a celebrity and I am still walking on air from everything that happened.’
- Grant, who hails from Strensall, admitted he had been walking on air ever since he was told he was being called-up into the senior squad
- Sara smiled back and walked on air as she left the room.
- Kacey said: ‘I'm walking on air, I was so chuffed to receive the invitation and the kind words.’
- Showing off their repertoire of skills in Roundhay Park, the unassuming brothers admitted they were walking on air.
- He felt like he was walking on air when his winning number was called and he was handed a pair of autographed boots by the great man himself.
- And he is now walking on air because he feels like he's gotten the attention of everybody in this country and that's important to him.
- And all that day, and week and most of that year I felt I was walking on air, like the feeling you get when you're in love.
Synonyms
contented, content, cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, joking, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, glowing, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific, blessed

Origin

Middle English (in air (sense 1 of the noun)): from Old French air, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr, denoting the gas. air (sense 2 of the noun) is from French air, probably from Old French aire ‘site, disposition’, from Latin ager, agr- ‘field’ (influenced by sense 1). air (sense 3 of the noun) comes from Italian aria (see aria).

单词	air
释义	Definition of air in English: air noun ɛːɛr 1mass noun The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen. Example sentencesExamples We never closed the curtains and were consistently surrounded by light and air. Whatever he became in that no-man's land he was a ghost, invisible as air. The plant leaves suck pollution out of the air and cool the rooftop and surrounding air considerably. The soybean takes nitrogen from air in the soil and fixes it in nodules on its roots. There was a hole in the floor through which poured a festive mixture of frigid air and diesel fumes. Oxygen is heavier than air, so it can collect in low areas, such as the lower airway. At almost 5,000 ft, it is surrounded by rarefied air, seductive silence and dreamy peaks. Before long, the hot air inside the balloon is less dense than the cool air that surrounds it. Hence, toxic substances in air can easily reach the lung and produce harmful effects locally and in other organs. The engine is normal and the mixture of air / fuel is right when the color of the plug is tan. In gasification, crushed coal is reacted with steam and either air or pure oxygen. When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to err on the safe side and add air or nitrogen to your tires. The surface tension of water is increased, and even the density of air surrounding the Earth ebbs and flows like the tides in the sea. The most familiar cause of hypoxic hypoxia is the low oxygen content of air at high altitude. Beat the butter into the chocolate and cream, trying not to get any air into the mixture. The air sizzled as oxygen was greedily consumed by the roiling ball of fire. Most victims were long gone, to hospitals or morgues, and their attackers were as invisible as air. Exposing the fabric to the oxygen in air and heating it for a while changes the molecules back to indigo. The chilled air surrounded him as he trudged off towards his car parked only a few feet away. It is a natural process for a fire to draw in air to consume its oxygen. 1.1 Air regarded as necessary for breathing. the air was stale the doctor told me to get some fresh air Example sentencesExamples My body heat rose to my face in the cool, stale bus air. He wrestled her arm away long enough to gasp a few precious seconds of air from the surface before going under. The water pushed her upwards, though, and soon she was back on the surface, gasping for air. He had seen enough and was having trouble breathing because the air was thin. After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe the fresh desert air. As I rested day after day in the sun, breathing the fresh air, God slowly turned my life around. Children from far away cities came here for summer camps to breathe the sea air and eat fresh fish. Automobile exhaust fumes have become a major contributor to air pollution globally. It seemed many long minutes before Giles came back up for air. The ban is meant to boost air quality by reducing smoke. Why do we have to leave our cities and towns to breathe fresh air? What seems like winter cold symptoms can often be allergic reactions to dust and fungus in stale, heated indoor air. They suffocated and strangled me simultaneously, and I had to fight to surface for air. For many, the north shore still holds the allure of country life with historic towns, cleaner air and a slower pace of life. When I emerged from the ground I felt the warm breeze of the evening on my face and took my first breaths of fresh air. Breathing fresh air is vital, so get outdoors as much as possible. She once again inhaled the autumn air and then jumped back in her car. I stood on the precipice gulping air, awestruck. A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities. I do believe that being able to breathe fresh mountain air, see the sea or green hills all the time does a lot for one's spirit. Synonyms going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind brewing, looming, on the way, in the offing, on the horizon informal on the go, doing the rounds, on the cards, in the pipeline literary astir 1.2 The free or unconfined space above the surface of the earth. he celebrated by tossing his hat high in the air Example sentencesExamples Cheers and whistles filled the air. It would fly up in the air and you had to hit it again as far as you could. Experts say that if the volcano erupts, it might throw hot rocks into the air above the surface of the sea. Wolves have launched an inquiry into how Mrs Butler was hurt by a firework that should have flown straight up in the air. Cirrus clouds indicated the distant approach of a trough, both in the surface and upper air. I watched as the ground slipped farther and farther away as we were pulled into air, then space. Despite the visual high of watching a superhero leaping across rooftops or swinging through the air at incredibly dangerous speeds, the film is really a love story. People have invaded the earth and the air; even the surface of the water is sliced through with boats. The air above this sea ice is deprived of heat and moisture from the ocean. Murray is succeeding by keeping the ball out of the air and on the ground. Bright-orange flocks of butterflies fill the air - the migrating monarchs. Think about it like this: If you stand on the ground and jump into the air, you burn about ten calories. Ultimately, one of the dog's hind legs shoots up in the air, as its head goes down. Her reflection in the sparkling water below and in the clear blue air above stretches to infinity. Divots can be seen flying through the air. Mr Cooper, who had been in front of his brother, said he heard a noise and looked back to see Andrew with his hands up in the air. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air. Synonyms sky, heavens, ether atmosphere, aerosphere, airspace 1.3usually as modifier Referring to the use of aircraft. air traffic all goods must come in by air Example sentencesExamples It has since been implemented at all the air logistics centers, albeit in a limited capacity. It is one of the ugliest cities I've ever seen, from the air. The quest for offensive power did its part to make the loss of air superiority permanent. The Convention provides an exclusive legal framework for the settlement of disputes arising out of the international carriage of goods (and passengers) by air. Suppose the world population is housed, educated and fed and wants air travel on tap? The government started also bombing us from above, from the air. Further events followed in the afternoon including air displays and model aircraft flying. To facilitate the customer you need to have access by road, by air and by the normal routes. Defeat came from air superiority in the west and numerical superiority in the east. The bad news for air travelers is that in the long term, fares are bound to increase. At the time no one realized that this was the aircraft which would win the air war over the Pacific. Information was a major enabler of this strike and of the air campaign that followed. Bomber Command's air offensive against Germany was one of the epic campaigns of World War II. Nimitz knew that the battle that would ensue would involve aircraft and air supremacy. As we were taxiing out to the strip I saw some air activity east of the field. It was the third major air disaster involving aircraft flying in or out of the airport in the space of eight years. Six weeks on people were beginning to come back to air travel. In a world in which air travel would continue to become cheaper, tourism here had to build on quality. They are searching in cars, on foot and from the air. This success led to an order directing all military airfields to have an air ambulance. 1.4 The earth's atmosphere as a medium for transmitting radio waves. radio stations have successfully sold products over the air Example sentencesExamples The idea that comes to my mind is to do a TV show, but to do it strictly online rather than over the air. But they're sending your confidential data over the air through a broadcast system. In theory the network can send its logo over the air - as with a Nokia phone - in practice they won't. 1.5 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs of Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra) as modifier an air sign Example sentencesExamples As an air sign, Libra likes to keep things light, bright and positive. The air signs are the guys who seem self-obsessed but spend most of their time with other people. He is said to have believed in fire and air as basic elements and thought of the world as a living being with God as its soul. In vedic astrology, Virgo has some qualities of air, because Mercury is considered an airy planet for them. The lack of air in a birth chart can indicate difficulty in the expression of that person. Bring the element of air into the environment with wind chimes and fans. So if the chart is cast for noon then Saturn acts as the triplicity ruler of all the air signs; at midnight Mercury would be used instead. The diagram shows, for instance, that the combination of hot and cold produces the element of air and the humour of blood. As an air sign, Aquarius relates to places that are high off the ground or above the general eye line. Neither buildings nor people can escape the logic of the elements of fire and air. 1.6count noun A breeze or light wind. Example sentencesExamples From the mobile start line near the east shore north of Hen Holme, the fleet of 12 yachts spread out across the lake in light airs. Light winds make finding carp that much harder, so let's just take a look at a few ways of hopefully getting on fish when light airs are the order of the day. Sailing performance is very respectable particularly in light to moderate air. From the mobile start line north of Rough Holme, Naiad got away well in the light south-westerly airs and reached the windward mark at Claife with a narrow lead. They've had sea swells of 40 metres and snow, followed by light airs. All of the heroes that is, except for the heroes of the airs… of the winds. In the light airs, the crews must step gingerly around the boat to retain boatspeed. Synonyms breeze, draught, wind breath of air, gust of air, flurry of air, waft of air, puff of wind, whiff of air, blast of air 2An impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something. she answered with a faint air of boredom he leaned over with a confidential air Example sentencesExamples There seems to be an air of unreality, as though the war were a million miles away. The painting lent an air of quality to the other items on the mantel, all inexpensive purchases. An air of mystery surrounds plans being drawn up for a new road that will cut out the bad bends at the notorious Cononley Lane Ends. His malapropisms and good old boy manner give him the air of a simpleton, and yet he's not. Cameron, cast against type, has to subvert his usually dignified air to portray a crooked and downbeat wastrel. More than anything else, this wretched film has about it an intense air of unreality. A goatee instantly adds an air of distinguished maturity to one's appearance. Rather, the American industrial and technological scene is endowed with an air of epic grandeur. A faint air of hopelessness overcomes McWhorter as our conversation winds down. The questions even became a shade less hostile as his new air of poise impressed the panel. When they come through here on the way to Europe they have a gay, free, happy air. He is about 41, with iron grey hair, round glasses, and a faint air of irony. Their administrative overhaul and strong recruiting lent an air of excitement to the holiday sunshine. The whitewashed walls gave it an air of space and light, despite the lack of windows. It added an air of eeriness and unreality to the situation that made Joe feel sick to the pit of his stomach. The reason was the absolute perfection of her appearance and her air of invincible superiority. In a way, their story is much more interesting for the deliberate air of mystique they cultivate. For the moment though, an air of normality appeared to be returning to Istanbul. A big crowd had come and there was a certain air of hope - even if at times it appeared a little forced. If Roux carries with him an air of grandeur - and I do detect just a whiff - well, perhaps he can be forgiven for it. There's an air of calm about the place, an aura of tranquillity. Synonyms expression, appearance, look, impression, aspect, manner, bearing, mien, countenance mood, quality, ambience, aura, feeling, flavour, tone informal vibe 2.1airs An annoyingly affected and condescending manner. he began to put on airs and think he could boss us around Example sentencesExamples Lady Catherine is one of the main offenders, her airs, arrogance and pride are fuelled by other characters like Mr Collins. Next time you pick up the phone, ask yourself whether you tend to put on any artificial airs and start from there. The main reason I feel this is that when you date, pretense and airs are, well, up in the air. In any case, Byrne, who has been acting professionally since she was 13, isn't the type to put on airs. She didn't seem to put on airs or act as if she was better then him. Rosalinda, who was also invited to Prince Orlofsky's party, arrives there, masked, affecting the airs of a Hungarian countess. Beth didn't put on airs, and she liked people who were the same way. Not for her the tendency to put on airs and throwing star tantrums. But then again, he had never been one to put on airs. Alice's sharp wit and blunt pronouncements could be intimidating, but if you didn't put on airs and weren't a fool, she was fiercely loyal and endlessly forgiving. He is the prince of a southern political family, but without unusual arrogance or over-the-top airs of entitlement. She is always the same whether you meet her at private dinner parties or big public occasions: she has absolutely no ' airs ' to her. There were no celeb airs about him. I have not slept in a solid bed for three weeks, you haughty wench, and I'll not have your condescending airs and your reproachful glances! In other words, they - most of the people that are very successful in life - put on airs. But she does not put on airs, as other girls do; she is quite natural and - though, I must admit, not my personal favourite - a lovely person. She affects no artistic airs and harbours few highfalutin’ notions about the mystique or cultural sanctity of opera. Synonyms affectation, pretentiousness, condescension, affectedness, pretension, elitism, snobbishness, arrogance, pride, haughtiness, airs, airs and graces, disdain, disdainfulness, superciliousness, exclusiveness 3Music A tune or short melodious song. traditional Scottish airs sung in the Gaelic tongue Example sentencesExamples Helena Bell gave a first class performance of Celtic airs and received a very warm applause. The talented Dordan group has won widespread acclaim for their unique sound - a blend of lively traditional jigs and reels, haunting slow airs, traditional songs along with mazurkas, sonatinas and waltzes. He also laments, though in milder terms, the old-world style of Bach's choruses and airs. In the 17th century popular ballads were sung to the traditional airs; these were published in great numbers during the 18th century. Expect to hear a varied repertoire of original tunes and airs along with a choice of songs by Irish singer-songwriters and composers arranged by this dynamic duo. Synonyms tune, melody, song, theme, strain, refrain, piece, aria literary lay 4A jump off the ground on a snowboard or skateboard. Example sentencesExamples John was easily doing triple swith-ups and big airs out of the coping. I love to watch Richie ride; he's my fave, some style and clean airs. When it first opened, Pete would come in there and have the smoothest style and do the biggest airs. I just learned backside airs, and I was trying to tweak them out. Brian Patch did body jars, backside airs, transfer lines and skated fast to 3rd place. verb ɛːɛr [with object] 1Express (an opinion or grievance) publicly. a meeting in which long-standing grievances were aired Example sentencesExamples Last week food experts aired their concerns about the amount of salt content in our food. More than 100 people aired their views on what should happen to a two kilometre stretch of land along the River Wharfe. There are those in this area who hate him, but are afraid to air their grievances publicly. Although the Government has set a time for people to air their views, will they really take any notice? You certainly had a few Democrats airing their grievances! I firmly believe that everyone should have the right to air their grievances in court. More than that, they tried to label those airing the concerns as being opposed to job creation, etc. It is a new show that will give members of the public the chance to air their opinions on a range of hot topics. Although the language used is different, the same grievances are being aired. It is has only been written for one reason, and one reason only, to air my opinion. When an opportunity arises for people to air their views, it is a shame not to take it. The view was aired at a stormy community meeting in which householders living near the site were given information about the Heslington East proposals. The idea that they should be prevented from airing their opinions appals me. People wanting to air their views about the scheme have until the end of April. MPs have aired their concerns about police funding and Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion saying they are gravely concerned about the effect on front-line policing. We could set up a public forum to discuss these issues and allow grievances to be aired. The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision. Complaints about young people drinking in the Millennium town Park were aired at last week's meeting of the Town Council. I do have strong opinions, although, of course, no easy solutions, but this is not the place to air those opinions. We were not trying to reach any conclusion, it was more an opportunity for people to air their views. Synonyms express, voice, make public, vent, ventilate, articulate, state, declare, give expression to, give voice to make known, publicize, publish, disseminate, circulate, communicate, spread, promulgate, broadcast reveal, announce, proclaim, divulge, submit, raise, moot, propose discuss, debate have one's say 1.1 Broadcast (a programme) on radio or television. the programmes were aired on India's state TV network Example sentencesExamples Last week the BBC aired a television programme that contained evidence of a problem with drink and drug misuse among doctors in the United Kingdom. The television station kept airing exit polls, claiming that the party had scored a landslide victory in both the parliamentary and local elections. The programme would be aired on the Amrita television channel, which is being launched soon. Just like the Internet, radio stations will be able to monitor programmes being transmitted or aired by another radio station that is connected to the network. Part 2 of ‘The Great Outdoors’ show shot at Hyner View State Park was aired last Sunday night on the local Fox station in Northeast, PA. Highlights from the gig will be aired on Radio 1 across the week. BTV aired an interview with a former member of the Russian Federal Service for Security. A few years after the Allied victory, NBC television aired a remarkable documentary series. On Oct. 9, the pair will air TV ads touting the attraction. This was as a result of the recent ‘Secret Agent’ television programme aired last week on BBC one. NBC's "Nightly News" aired part of the interview Thursday. New games are unlocked every Tuesday as each new episode is aired on television in this ever-expanding online treasure-trove. Every day, Dominica's Broadcasting Corporation airs a radio programme exclusively about bananas, drawing an avid audience from all over this tiny Caribbean island. However, since the World Cup started on May 31, he has not been enthusiastic about working, especially during the time when the matches are aired on television. The event was aired on local BBC television, and the dam of emotion burst. Big Screen Birmingham airs the live event from the Royal Albert Hall. The party airs its first election broadcast tonight. The new television campaign will be aired during top rated programmes and, according to Miller, will reach 90 per cent of all Irish adults. This service was broadcast worldwide on the Internet and will be aired on television and/or radio in the near future. Programme developers get the chance to see their programme commissioned and aired on Radio Five Live. Synonyms broadcast, transmit, beam, send/put out, televise, show, telecast, relay, put on the air/airwaves, disseminate informal screen 1.2archaic Parade or show (something) ostentatiously. he took the opportunity of airing his knowledge of antiquity Example sentencesExamples The extremely practical and funky knee length side zips with popper storm flaps allow ankles to be aired and calves exposed. Synonyms display, exhibit, make a show of, flaunt, show, show off, demonstrate, draw attention to 2British Expose (a room) to the open air in order to ventilate it. the window sashes were lifted regularly to air the room Example sentencesExamples He returned to the room to greet his guest, leaving the double doors open to air out the room. It may be wise to actually close this place now, so that you can air out this room properly before the start of the next season. I'm trying to air the house to get rid of the last traces of the petrol smell. Try to avoid foods that seem to trigger your symptoms; air rooms well so that cooking or tobacco smells don't build up. It took me all of last night just to do my bedroom, and because I had to air the room after vacuuming, I had to sleep downstairs on the hard floor. All windows are open to air the rooms and with only shutters to keep out little intruders the level of noise is unbearable. With no windows to open to air the place out, the only thing the Blues could do was import some industrial-sized fans to circulate the air. And these particular rooms were aired only for a barbarian envoy or a member of the merchant class. Synonyms ventilate, aerate, freshen, refresh, cool, air-condition 2.1 Warm (washed laundry) to remove dampness. I was airing the sheets Example sentencesExamples Well, by now, hopefully the flags have been aired and the jerseys washed. She walks to the back of the house, where Alyssa is trying to air out the sheets. A new regulation to be adopted soon bans locals from airing their laundry in some downtown streets. I asked my mother one day, airing out the sheets. Feather mattresses removed, aired and fluffed before being put back in their place. The completed items would be kept in storage for as long as necessary, brought out to be washed and aired occasionally, and jealously guarded. 2.2air oneselfarchaic Go out in the fresh air. to go and air myself in my native fields Phrases airs and graces derogatory An affectation of superiority. young master Tristan, with his fancy education and his airs and graces Example sentencesExamples Brighton, for all its airs and graces, is a very provincial town, and I like it that way. You've taken on a few airs and graces lately, haven't you Tim? Demanding divas could take lessons from her easygoing nature; she may take her profession seriously but she harbours no personal airs and graces whatsoever. He had no airs and graces and he was always interested in what you were saying. He was at Man United but there's no airs and graces about Teddy. There were no airs and graces about Hedley, he was a very gentle fella and it was an honour to have known him. They don't try to put on airs and graces - they just say what they mean which is good. At each prison, however, he has been accused of adopting unsuitable airs and graces, demanding - and receiving - what is perceived to be special treatment. Despite being raised the daughter of a brigadier, and despite stints at both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, there are no airs and graces to Juliet Stevenson. But despite mingling with the stars, he has few airs and graces and regularly returns home to Lancaster to help in the family restaurant. Synonyms affectations, pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, posing, posturing, pretence in the air Felt by a number of people to be happening or about to happen. panic was in the air you can tell there's an election in the air Example sentencesExamples It is still not quite the real thing but it is getting closer, you can smell it in the air. It is a bit more honest, I suppose, but means that there is no real magic in the air. As the tower prepares to welcome the public again, there is a frisson of anxiety in the air. Change is also in the air for the farming industry at the bottom of the food chain. Panic and terror could be smelt in the air and that sensation of worry clenched at his gut. As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air. If there was a clear sense of nervousness in the air, it was tangible on the ground. It takes the band a couple of songs to hit their flow and as they do you can feel the change in the air. You feel a certain wrongness in the air and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as unseen eyes watch you. At most of our shows there is just a good feeling in the air with people having a good time. Synonyms going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind on (or off) the air Being (or not being) broadcast on radio or television. the wacky series has been on the air for ten years Example sentencesExamples She looked upon them as her friends and as part of an inter-dependent team that put the station on the air. Ask the family for the photograph of the victim that they would most like to see in the paper or on the air. What do you wish you could tell your viewers that you will never be able to tell them on the air? As the station came on the air for the first time, its technicians walked out. Ever wonder where those morning radio shows get all that wacky news they read on the air? Broadcast of the series was held up by a strike that took ITV off the air for over two months. Radio stations were off the air because transformers were hit by lightning. RTE television was off the air completely during the day - not even a testcard was broadcast - just static. My father was into acting on stage and was also on the air as a radio DJ. Let's just get all the disc jockeys off the air and let muzak fill the airwaves! take the air Go out of doors. I had a sudden feeling to get out and take the air Synonyms stroll, saunter, amble, wend one's way, trudge, plod, hike, tramp, trek, march, stride, troop, patrol, step out, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, footslog, promenade, roam, traipse up in the air (of a plan or issue) still to be settled; unresolved. the fate of the power station is up in the air Example sentencesExamples He's now in his final year of study and the future is still a bit up in the air. What happens beyond that or where it will take place is as up in the air as his plans in high school. Its own future is in doubt at this point and sources suggest the situation is now totally up in the air. Nothing was happening, the whole thing was up in the air and was a complete shambles. It's still up in the air because the file folders in which we found them had no labels. As the company has just recently changed hands and still seems to be up in the air, I don't know who to contact about it. The future of the women's volleyball team is up in the air as it is the final season for many of the players. It doesn't look good for the democrats at the moment, but it's still up in the air. Is there going to be resolution this week, or is it going to be left up in the air as it has been in the past? At this stage his future is very much up in the air as is the possibility of him remaining a United player. Synonyms uncertain, unknown, undetermined, unsettled, unresolved, unsure, pending, in the balance, in limbo, in no man's land, debatable, open to question, in doubt walk (or tread) on air Feel elated. most couples feel they are walking on air on their wedding day Example sentencesExamples Showing off their repertoire of skills in Roundhay Park, the unassuming brothers admitted they were walking on air. Grant, who hails from Strensall, admitted he had been walking on air ever since he was told he was being called-up into the senior squad He felt like he was walking on air when his winning number was called and he was handed a pair of autographed boots by the great man himself. Kacey said: ‘I'm walking on air, I was so chuffed to receive the invitation and the kind words.’ Sara smiled back and walked on air as she left the room. Mr Ahmed said: ‘I felt like a celebrity and I am still walking on air from everything that happened.’ And all that day, and week and most of that year I felt I was walking on air, like the feeling you get when you're in love. But it wasn't anyone else, it was James and I was walking on air. His dad told the Evening Press: ‘If you asked whether he was walking on air at the moment the answer would have to be yes!’ And he is now walking on air because he feels like he's gotten the attention of everybody in this country and that's important to him. Synonyms contented, content, cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, joking, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, glowing, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific, blessed Origin Middle English (in sense 1 of the noun): from Old French air, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr, denoting the gas. sense 2 of the noun is from French air, probably from Old French aire 'site, disposition', from Latin ager, agr- 'field' (influenced by sense 1). sense 3 of the noun comes from Italian aria (see aria). 1 The main modern sense of air, ‘the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth’ entered English via Old French and Latin from Greek aēr. Aerial (late 16th century), meaning ‘a rod or wire by which signals are transmitted or received’ and ‘existing or happening in the air’, comes from the same source, along with the Italian word aria (early 18th century). Aerobic (late 19th century) is from aēr combined with Greek bios ‘live’. 2 The senses of air ‘an impression or manner’ and ‘a condescending manner’ (as in she gave herself airs) are probably from a completely different word, Old French aire ‘site, disposition’, which derives from Latin ager ‘field’, the root of English words such as agriculture (Late Middle English). Airy-fairy (mid 19th century) ‘impractical and foolishly idealistic’, was originally used to mean ‘delicate or light as a fairy’. The English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), in his poem ‘Lilian’ (1830), described the subject as ‘Airy, fairy Lilian, Flitting, fairy Lilian’. See also gas Rhymes affair, affaire, Altair, Althusser, Anvers, Apollinaire, Astaire, aware, Ayer, Ayr, bare, bear, bêche-de-mer, beware, billionaire, Blair, blare, Bonaire, cafetière, care, chair, chargé d'affaires, chemin de fer, Cher, Clair, Claire, Clare, commissionaire, compare, concessionaire, cordon sanitaire, couvert, Daguerre, dare, debonair, declare, derrière, despair, doctrinaire, éclair, e'er, elsewhere, ensnare, ere, extraordinaire, Eyre, fair, fare, fayre, Finisterre, flair, flare, Folies-Bergère, forbear, forswear, foursquare, glair, glare, hair, hare, heir, Herr, impair, jardinière, Khmer, Kildare, La Bruyère, lair, laissez-faire, legionnaire, luminaire, mal de mer, mare, mayor, meunière, mid-air, millionaire, misère, Mon-Khmer, multimillionaire, ne'er, Niger, nom de guerre, outstare, outwear, pair, pare, parterre, pear, père, pied-à-terre, Pierre, plein-air, prayer, questionnaire, rare, ready-to-wear, rivière, Rosslare, Santander, savoir faire, scare, secretaire, share, snare, solitaire, Soufrière, spare, square, stair, stare, surface-to-air, swear, Tailleferre, tare, tear, their, there, they're, vin ordinaire, Voltaire, ware, wear, Weston-super-Mare, where, yeah noun.1 phr. Definition of air in US English: air nounɛrer 1The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen. Example sentencesExamples There was a hole in the floor through which poured a festive mixture of frigid air and diesel fumes. Exposing the fabric to the oxygen in air and heating it for a while changes the molecules back to indigo. At almost 5,000 ft, it is surrounded by rarefied air, seductive silence and dreamy peaks. Oxygen is heavier than air, so it can collect in low areas, such as the lower airway. Before long, the hot air inside the balloon is less dense than the cool air that surrounds it. We never closed the curtains and were consistently surrounded by light and air. Hence, toxic substances in air can easily reach the lung and produce harmful effects locally and in other organs. Beat the butter into the chocolate and cream, trying not to get any air into the mixture. The chilled air surrounded him as he trudged off towards his car parked only a few feet away. The engine is normal and the mixture of air / fuel is right when the color of the plug is tan. The plant leaves suck pollution out of the air and cool the rooftop and surrounding air considerably. The air sizzled as oxygen was greedily consumed by the roiling ball of fire. The surface tension of water is increased, and even the density of air surrounding the Earth ebbs and flows like the tides in the sea. The most familiar cause of hypoxic hypoxia is the low oxygen content of air at high altitude. Whatever he became in that no-man's land he was a ghost, invisible as air. When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to err on the safe side and add air or nitrogen to your tires. The soybean takes nitrogen from air in the soil and fixes it in nodules on its roots. Most victims were long gone, to hospitals or morgues, and their attackers were as invisible as air. It is a natural process for a fire to draw in air to consume its oxygen. In gasification, crushed coal is reacted with steam and either air or pure oxygen. 1.1 Air regarded as necessary for breathing. the air was stale the doctor told me to get some fresh air Example sentencesExamples She once again inhaled the autumn air and then jumped back in her car. Breathing fresh air is vital, so get outdoors as much as possible. It seemed many long minutes before Giles came back up for air. The water pushed her upwards, though, and soon she was back on the surface, gasping for air. For many, the north shore still holds the allure of country life with historic towns, cleaner air and a slower pace of life. When I emerged from the ground I felt the warm breeze of the evening on my face and took my first breaths of fresh air. I do believe that being able to breathe fresh mountain air, see the sea or green hills all the time does a lot for one's spirit. What seems like winter cold symptoms can often be allergic reactions to dust and fungus in stale, heated indoor air. They suffocated and strangled me simultaneously, and I had to fight to surface for air. A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities. I stood on the precipice gulping air, awestruck. He had seen enough and was having trouble breathing because the air was thin. Automobile exhaust fumes have become a major contributor to air pollution globally. Children from far away cities came here for summer camps to breathe the sea air and eat fresh fish. After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe the fresh desert air. My body heat rose to my face in the cool, stale bus air. He wrestled her arm away long enough to gasp a few precious seconds of air from the surface before going under. Why do we have to leave our cities and towns to breathe fresh air? The ban is meant to boost air quality by reducing smoke. As I rested day after day in the sun, breathing the fresh air, God slowly turned my life around. Synonyms going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind 1.2 The free or unconfined space above the surface of the earth. he celebrated by tossing his hat high in the air Example sentencesExamples Cheers and whistles filled the air. It would fly up in the air and you had to hit it again as far as you could. I watched as the ground slipped farther and farther away as we were pulled into air, then space. Mr Cooper, who had been in front of his brother, said he heard a noise and looked back to see Andrew with his hands up in the air. Murray is succeeding by keeping the ball out of the air and on the ground. Ultimately, one of the dog's hind legs shoots up in the air, as its head goes down. People have invaded the earth and the air; even the surface of the water is sliced through with boats. Think about it like this: If you stand on the ground and jump into the air, you burn about ten calories. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air. Bright-orange flocks of butterflies fill the air - the migrating monarchs. Her reflection in the sparkling water below and in the clear blue air above stretches to infinity. Wolves have launched an inquiry into how Mrs Butler was hurt by a firework that should have flown straight up in the air. Cirrus clouds indicated the distant approach of a trough, both in the surface and upper air. Despite the visual high of watching a superhero leaping across rooftops or swinging through the air at incredibly dangerous speeds, the film is really a love story. Divots can be seen flying through the air. Experts say that if the volcano erupts, it might throw hot rocks into the air above the surface of the sea. The air above this sea ice is deprived of heat and moisture from the ocean. Synonyms sky, heavens, ether 1.3usually as modifier Referring to the use of aircraft. air traffic all goods must come in by air Example sentencesExamples The government started also bombing us from above, from the air. Information was a major enabler of this strike and of the air campaign that followed. Six weeks on people were beginning to come back to air travel. The quest for offensive power did its part to make the loss of air superiority permanent. Defeat came from air superiority in the west and numerical superiority in the east. At the time no one realized that this was the aircraft which would win the air war over the Pacific. They are searching in cars, on foot and from the air. It is one of the ugliest cities I've ever seen, from the air. Further events followed in the afternoon including air displays and model aircraft flying. It was the third major air disaster involving aircraft flying in or out of the airport in the space of eight years. The Convention provides an exclusive legal framework for the settlement of disputes arising out of the international carriage of goods (and passengers) by air. The bad news for air travelers is that in the long term, fares are bound to increase. Suppose the world population is housed, educated and fed and wants air travel on tap? It has since been implemented at all the air logistics centers, albeit in a limited capacity. This success led to an order directing all military airfields to have an air ambulance. Nimitz knew that the battle that would ensue would involve aircraft and air supremacy. As we were taxiing out to the strip I saw some air activity east of the field. Bomber Command's air offensive against Germany was one of the epic campaigns of World War II. In a world in which air travel would continue to become cheaper, tourism here had to build on quality. To facilitate the customer you need to have access by road, by air and by the normal routes. 1.4 The earth's atmosphere as a medium for transmitting radio waves. radio stations have successfully sold products over the air Example sentencesExamples The idea that comes to my mind is to do a TV show, but to do it strictly online rather than over the air. In theory the network can send its logo over the air - as with a Nokia phone - in practice they won't. But they're sending your confidential data over the air through a broadcast system. 1.5 Air considered as one of the four elements in ancient philosophy and in astrology (associated with the signs of Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra). Example sentencesExamples Bring the element of air into the environment with wind chimes and fans. As an air sign, Aquarius relates to places that are high off the ground or above the general eye line. The diagram shows, for instance, that the combination of hot and cold produces the element of air and the humour of blood. So if the chart is cast for noon then Saturn acts as the triplicity ruler of all the air signs; at midnight Mercury would be used instead. He is said to have believed in fire and air as basic elements and thought of the world as a living being with God as its soul. In vedic astrology, Virgo has some qualities of air, because Mercury is considered an airy planet for them. The air signs are the guys who seem self-obsessed but spend most of their time with other people. The lack of air in a birth chart can indicate difficulty in the expression of that person. Neither buildings nor people can escape the logic of the elements of fire and air. As an air sign, Libra likes to keep things light, bright and positive. 1.6 A breeze or light wind. See also light air Example sentencesExamples In the light airs, the crews must step gingerly around the boat to retain boatspeed. From the mobile start line near the east shore north of Hen Holme, the fleet of 12 yachts spread out across the lake in light airs. From the mobile start line north of Rough Holme, Naiad got away well in the light south-westerly airs and reached the windward mark at Claife with a narrow lead. Sailing performance is very respectable particularly in light to moderate air. They've had sea swells of 40 metres and snow, followed by light airs. All of the heroes that is, except for the heroes of the airs… of the winds. Light winds make finding carp that much harder, so let's just take a look at a few ways of hopefully getting on fish when light airs are the order of the day. Synonyms breeze, draught, wind 1.7 Air conditioning. 2An impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something. she answered with a faint air of boredom he leaned over with a confidential air Example sentencesExamples In a way, their story is much more interesting for the deliberate air of mystique they cultivate. Cameron, cast against type, has to subvert his usually dignified air to portray a crooked and downbeat wastrel. If Roux carries with him an air of grandeur - and I do detect just a whiff - well, perhaps he can be forgiven for it. A goatee instantly adds an air of distinguished maturity to one's appearance. The painting lent an air of quality to the other items on the mantel, all inexpensive purchases. Rather, the American industrial and technological scene is endowed with an air of epic grandeur. An air of mystery surrounds plans being drawn up for a new road that will cut out the bad bends at the notorious Cononley Lane Ends. There seems to be an air of unreality, as though the war were a million miles away. More than anything else, this wretched film has about it an intense air of unreality. A big crowd had come and there was a certain air of hope - even if at times it appeared a little forced. The questions even became a shade less hostile as his new air of poise impressed the panel. There's an air of calm about the place, an aura of tranquillity. His malapropisms and good old boy manner give him the air of a simpleton, and yet he's not. The reason was the absolute perfection of her appearance and her air of invincible superiority. The whitewashed walls gave it an air of space and light, despite the lack of windows. Their administrative overhaul and strong recruiting lent an air of excitement to the holiday sunshine. He is about 41, with iron grey hair, round glasses, and a faint air of irony. It added an air of eeriness and unreality to the situation that made Joe feel sick to the pit of his stomach. For the moment though, an air of normality appeared to be returning to Istanbul. A faint air of hopelessness overcomes McWhorter as our conversation winds down. When they come through here on the way to Europe they have a gay, free, happy air. Synonyms expression, appearance, look, impression, aspect, manner, bearing, mien, countenance 2.1airs An annoyingly affected and condescending manner. he began to put on airs and think he could boss us around Example sentencesExamples She affects no artistic airs and harbours few highfalutin’ notions about the mystique or cultural sanctity of opera. She is always the same whether you meet her at private dinner parties or big public occasions: she has absolutely no ' airs ' to her. Next time you pick up the phone, ask yourself whether you tend to put on any artificial airs and start from there. In any case, Byrne, who has been acting professionally since she was 13, isn't the type to put on airs. Beth didn't put on airs, and she liked people who were the same way. But she does not put on airs, as other girls do; she is quite natural and - though, I must admit, not my personal favourite - a lovely person. Alice's sharp wit and blunt pronouncements could be intimidating, but if you didn't put on airs and weren't a fool, she was fiercely loyal and endlessly forgiving. The main reason I feel this is that when you date, pretense and airs are, well, up in the air. Rosalinda, who was also invited to Prince Orlofsky's party, arrives there, masked, affecting the airs of a Hungarian countess. In other words, they - most of the people that are very successful in life - put on airs. Lady Catherine is one of the main offenders, her airs, arrogance and pride are fuelled by other characters like Mr Collins. He is the prince of a southern political family, but without unusual arrogance or over-the-top airs of entitlement. I have not slept in a solid bed for three weeks, you haughty wench, and I'll not have your condescending airs and your reproachful glances! But then again, he had never been one to put on airs. There were no celeb airs about him. Not for her the tendency to put on airs and throwing star tantrums. She didn't seem to put on airs or act as if she was better then him. Synonyms affectation, pretentiousness, condescension, affectedness, pretension, elitism, snobbishness, arrogance, pride, haughtiness, airs, airs and graces, disdain, disdainfulness, superciliousness, exclusiveness 3Music A tune or short melodious composition, typically a song. Example sentencesExamples Helena Bell gave a first class performance of Celtic airs and received a very warm applause. The talented Dordan group has won widespread acclaim for their unique sound - a blend of lively traditional jigs and reels, haunting slow airs, traditional songs along with mazurkas, sonatinas and waltzes. Expect to hear a varied repertoire of original tunes and airs along with a choice of songs by Irish singer-songwriters and composers arranged by this dynamic duo. In the 17th century popular ballads were sung to the traditional airs; these were published in great numbers during the 18th century. He also laments, though in milder terms, the old-world style of Bach's choruses and airs. Synonyms tune, melody, song, theme, strain, refrain, piece, aria 4A jump off the ground on a snowboard or skateboard. Example sentencesExamples Brian Patch did body jars, backside airs, transfer lines and skated fast to 3rd place. John was easily doing triple swith-ups and big airs out of the coping. When it first opened, Pete would come in there and have the smoothest style and do the biggest airs. I just learned backside airs, and I was trying to tweak them out. I love to watch Richie ride; he's my fave, some style and clean airs. verbɛrer 1with object Express (an opinion or grievance) publicly. a meeting in which long-standing grievances were aired Example sentencesExamples I firmly believe that everyone should have the right to air their grievances in court. We could set up a public forum to discuss these issues and allow grievances to be aired. People wanting to air their views about the scheme have until the end of April. It is a new show that will give members of the public the chance to air their opinions on a range of hot topics. Although the Government has set a time for people to air their views, will they really take any notice? MPs have aired their concerns about police funding and Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion saying they are gravely concerned about the effect on front-line policing. The idea that they should be prevented from airing their opinions appals me. More than 100 people aired their views on what should happen to a two kilometre stretch of land along the River Wharfe. The view was aired at a stormy community meeting in which householders living near the site were given information about the Heslington East proposals. When an opportunity arises for people to air their views, it is a shame not to take it. The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision. We were not trying to reach any conclusion, it was more an opportunity for people to air their views. Although the language used is different, the same grievances are being aired. Complaints about young people drinking in the Millennium town Park were aired at last week's meeting of the Town Council. Last week food experts aired their concerns about the amount of salt content in our food. I do have strong opinions, although, of course, no easy solutions, but this is not the place to air those opinions. There are those in this area who hate him, but are afraid to air their grievances publicly. You certainly had a few Democrats airing their grievances! It is has only been written for one reason, and one reason only, to air my opinion. More than that, they tried to label those airing the concerns as being opposed to job creation, etc. Synonyms express, voice, make public, vent, ventilate, articulate, state, declare, give expression to, give voice to 1.1 Broadcast (a program) on radio or television. the programs were aired on India's state TV network Example sentencesExamples Highlights from the gig will be aired on Radio 1 across the week. BTV aired an interview with a former member of the Russian Federal Service for Security. NBC's "Nightly News" aired part of the interview Thursday. This service was broadcast worldwide on the Internet and will be aired on television and/or radio in the near future. Last week the BBC aired a television programme that contained evidence of a problem with drink and drug misuse among doctors in the United Kingdom. Every day, Dominica's Broadcasting Corporation airs a radio programme exclusively about bananas, drawing an avid audience from all over this tiny Caribbean island. Part 2 of ‘The Great Outdoors’ show shot at Hyner View State Park was aired last Sunday night on the local Fox station in Northeast, PA. On Oct. 9, the pair will air TV ads touting the attraction. However, since the World Cup started on May 31, he has not been enthusiastic about working, especially during the time when the matches are aired on television. The television station kept airing exit polls, claiming that the party had scored a landslide victory in both the parliamentary and local elections. The party airs its first election broadcast tonight. New games are unlocked every Tuesday as each new episode is aired on television in this ever-expanding online treasure-trove. Just like the Internet, radio stations will be able to monitor programmes being transmitted or aired by another radio station that is connected to the network. Programme developers get the chance to see their programme commissioned and aired on Radio Five Live. The event was aired on local BBC television, and the dam of emotion burst. This was as a result of the recent ‘Secret Agent’ television programme aired last week on BBC one. The new television campaign will be aired during top rated programmes and, according to Miller, will reach 90 per cent of all Irish adults. The programme would be aired on the Amrita television channel, which is being launched soon. A few years after the Allied victory, NBC television aired a remarkable documentary series. Big Screen Birmingham airs the live event from the Royal Albert Hall. Synonyms broadcast, transmit, beam, put out, send out, televise, show, telecast, relay, put on the air, put on the airwaves, disseminate 1.2archaic Parade or show (something) ostentatiously. airing a snowy hand and signet ring Example sentencesExamples The extremely practical and funky knee length side zips with popper storm flaps allow ankles to be aired and calves exposed. Synonyms display, exhibit, make a show of, flaunt, show, show off, demonstrate, draw attention to 2British with object Expose (a room) to the open air in order to ventilate it. the window sashes were lifted regularly to air the room Example sentencesExamples All windows are open to air the rooms and with only shutters to keep out little intruders the level of noise is unbearable. I'm trying to air the house to get rid of the last traces of the petrol smell. It may be wise to actually close this place now, so that you can air out this room properly before the start of the next season. And these particular rooms were aired only for a barbarian envoy or a member of the merchant class. Try to avoid foods that seem to trigger your symptoms; air rooms well so that cooking or tobacco smells don't build up. It took me all of last night just to do my bedroom, and because I had to air the room after vacuuming, I had to sleep downstairs on the hard floor. With no windows to open to air the place out, the only thing the Blues could do was import some industrial-sized fans to circulate the air. He returned to the room to greet his guest, leaving the double doors open to air out the room. Synonyms ventilate, aerate, freshen, refresh, cool, air-condition 2.1air oneselfarchaic Go out in the fresh air. Phrases airs and graces derogatory An affectation of superiority. Example sentencesExamples There were no airs and graces about Hedley, he was a very gentle fella and it was an honour to have known him. You've taken on a few airs and graces lately, haven't you Tim? Demanding divas could take lessons from her easygoing nature; she may take her profession seriously but she harbours no personal airs and graces whatsoever. He had no airs and graces and he was always interested in what you were saying. Despite being raised the daughter of a brigadier, and despite stints at both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, there are no airs and graces to Juliet Stevenson. He was at Man United but there's no airs and graces about Teddy. At each prison, however, he has been accused of adopting unsuitable airs and graces, demanding - and receiving - what is perceived to be special treatment. They don't try to put on airs and graces - they just say what they mean which is good. But despite mingling with the stars, he has few airs and graces and regularly returns home to Lancaster to help in the family restaurant. Brighton, for all its airs and graces, is a very provincial town, and I like it that way. Synonyms affectations, pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, posing, posturing, pretence in the air Noticeable all around; becoming prevalent. I smell violence in the air Example sentencesExamples As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air. Change is also in the air for the farming industry at the bottom of the food chain. It is a bit more honest, I suppose, but means that there is no real magic in the air. It is still not quite the real thing but it is getting closer, you can smell it in the air. You feel a certain wrongness in the air and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as unseen eyes watch you. It takes the band a couple of songs to hit their flow and as they do you can feel the change in the air. At most of our shows there is just a good feeling in the air with people having a good time. As the tower prepares to welcome the public again, there is a frisson of anxiety in the air. If there was a clear sense of nervousness in the air, it was tangible on the ground. Panic and terror could be smelt in the air and that sensation of worry clenched at his gut. Synonyms going on, happening, afoot, around, about, abroad, circulating, current, stirring, in circulation, at large, going about, in the wind on (or off) the air Being (or not being) broadcast on radio or television. Example sentencesExamples Ever wonder where those morning radio shows get all that wacky news they read on the air? Ask the family for the photograph of the victim that they would most like to see in the paper or on the air. RTE television was off the air completely during the day - not even a testcard was broadcast - just static. What do you wish you could tell your viewers that you will never be able to tell them on the air? Broadcast of the series was held up by a strike that took ITV off the air for over two months. She looked upon them as her friends and as part of an inter-dependent team that put the station on the air. My father was into acting on stage and was also on the air as a radio DJ. As the station came on the air for the first time, its technicians walked out. Let's just get all the disc jockeys off the air and let muzak fill the airwaves! Radio stations were off the air because transformers were hit by lightning. take the air Go out of doors. Synonyms stroll, saunter, amble, wend one's way, trudge, plod, hike, tramp, trek, march, stride, troop, patrol, step out, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, footslog, promenade, roam, traipse up in the air (of a plan or issue) still to be settled; unresolved. the fate of the power station is up in the air Example sentencesExamples He's now in his final year of study and the future is still a bit up in the air. It's still up in the air because the file folders in which we found them had no labels. What happens beyond that or where it will take place is as up in the air as his plans in high school. Its own future is in doubt at this point and sources suggest the situation is now totally up in the air. Is there going to be resolution this week, or is it going to be left up in the air as it has been in the past? It doesn't look good for the democrats at the moment, but it's still up in the air. The future of the women's volleyball team is up in the air as it is the final season for many of the players. Nothing was happening, the whole thing was up in the air and was a complete shambles. As the company has just recently changed hands and still seems to be up in the air, I don't know who to contact about it. At this stage his future is very much up in the air as is the possibility of him remaining a United player. Synonyms uncertain, unknown, undetermined, unsettled, unresolved, unsure, pending, in the balance, in limbo, in no man's land, debatable, open to question, in doubt walk (or tread) on air Feel elated. Example sentencesExamples But it wasn't anyone else, it was James and I was walking on air. His dad told the Evening Press: ‘If you asked whether he was walking on air at the moment the answer would have to be yes!’ Mr Ahmed said: ‘I felt like a celebrity and I am still walking on air from everything that happened.’ Grant, who hails from Strensall, admitted he had been walking on air ever since he was told he was being called-up into the senior squad Sara smiled back and walked on air as she left the room. Kacey said: ‘I'm walking on air, I was so chuffed to receive the invitation and the kind words.’ Showing off their repertoire of skills in Roundhay Park, the unassuming brothers admitted they were walking on air. He felt like he was walking on air when his winning number was called and he was handed a pair of autographed boots by the great man himself. And he is now walking on air because he feels like he's gotten the attention of everybody in this country and that's important to him. And all that day, and week and most of that year I felt I was walking on air, like the feeling you get when you're in love. Synonyms contented, content, cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, joking, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, glowing, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific, blessed Origin Middle English (in air (sense 1 of the noun)): from Old French air, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr, denoting the gas. air (sense 2 of the noun) is from French air, probably from Old French aire ‘site, disposition’, from Latin ager, agr- ‘field’ (influenced by sense 1). air (sense 3 of the noun) comes from Italian aria (see aria). noun.1 phr.
随便看	be the parent of be the perfect addition to be the perfect companion to be the pits be the pits be the possession of be the possessor of be the precursor of be the presenter of be the property of be the proprietor of be the proud owner of be the (proud) possessor of be there at be there for be there for be the representative of be the responsibility of be the result be the result of be the right shape (for) be the right size be the right size for be the ruin/ruination of be the same