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| air [ er ] |
noun (plural airs) |
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1. gases forming atmosphere: the mixture of gases, mainly nitrogen and oxygen, that forms the Earth's atmosphere
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2. atmosphere in open space: the atmosphere of an open space as opposed to that of an enclosed space
  I need to get some air.
in the open air
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3. atmosphere we breathe: the atmosphere in a place or enclosed space
The air in here is too stuffy.
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4. sky: the sky or the empty space above the Earth
It flew through the air and landed at our feet.
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5. travel in aircraft: travel in or transportation by aircraft
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often used before a noun
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sending the package by air
an air terminal
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6. somebody's distinctive quality: a distinctive quality in somebody's appearance or manner
her air of superiority
an air of sadness about him
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7. music melody: a melody or tune, especially a light or cheerful one
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8.
Same as air conditioning
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9. light wind: a very light wind
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10. aerial skating or boarding trick: in skateboarding, in-line skating, and snowboarding, a trick performed with the whole board off the ground
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plural noun airs |
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| Definition: |
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U.S. affectation: affected manners or conduct meant to impress others
He's always putting on airs.
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adjective |
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| Definition: |
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of zodiac signs: relating to the Aquarius, Gemini, or Libra signs of the zodiac
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verb (past and past participle aired, present participle air·ing, 3rd person present singular airs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb broadcast or be broadcast: to broadcast something or be broadcast on radio or television
will be aired in the spring
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2. transitive verb make something known: to express something such as an opinion or complaint
air your views
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3. transitive and intransitive verb expose to air: to be exposed to the air, or expose something to the air in order to dry it, cool it, or ventilate it
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| [13th century. Partly via Old French and Latin< Greek aēr "air, atmosphere," partly via French, "nature, place of origin" < Latin ager "field," area "open space"] |
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clear the air to remove the tension, uncertainty, or misunderstanding from a situation
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give air to something to express something verbally
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in the air happening or about to happen
The rumor is that a merger is in the air.
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off (the) air not being broadcast on radio or television, e.g. because a person or program has stopped or finished broadcasting
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on (the) air being broadcast on radio or television
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punch the air to thrust your arm upward or outward with your fist clenched as a gesture of triumph
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take the air to go for a walk (formal)
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up in the air undecided or uncertain
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vanish into thin air to disappear completely
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walk on air to be extremely happy
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| Spelling Note |
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air, ere, err, and heir. Do not confuse the spelling of air, ere, err, and heir, which sound similar. Air is the most common of the four words, as in the air that we breathe, an air of superiority, to air an opinion. Ere is a literary word meaning "before" (as in ere long), err is a verb meaning "make a mistake" (as in to err is human, err on the side of caution), and heir is a noun meaning "legal inheritor" (as in the heir to the throne).
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