mid-air | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

5047 entries found.

also air-strip, a runway for aircraft, typically one without an air base or airport, 1942, from air (n.1) meaning "aircraft" + strip (n.).

airlift (n.)

also air-lift, 1893 as a type of pumping device; 1945 in the sense "transportation of supplies by aircraft," from air (n.1) + lift (n.). As a verb by 1949; popularized in reference to the U.S.-British response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. Related: Air-lifted; air-lifting.

aerial (adj.)

also aërial, c. 1600, "pertaining to the air," from Latin aerius "airy, aerial, lofty, high" (from Greek aerios "of the air, pertaining to air," from aēr "air;" see air (n.1)). With adjectival suffix -al (1). Also in English "consisting of air," hence, figuratively, "of a light and graceful beauty; insubstantial" (c. 1600). From 1915 as "by means of aircraft." From the Latin collateral form aereus comes the alternative English spelling aereal.

airhead (n.)

"empty-headed person," 1972, from air (n.1) + head (n.). Earlier as a term in mining (mid-19c.) and as a military term (1950) based on beach-head.

airman (n.)

also air-man, 1873, of balloons; 1910, of airplanes, from air (n.1) + man (n.).

airy (adj.)

late 14c., "of the air, containing air, made of air," from air (n.1) + -y (2). Meanings "breezy, exposed to the air, open to currents of air; lofty, high; light, buoyant; flimsy; flippant, jaunty, affectedly lofty; vain; unreal" all are attested by late 16c. From 1620s as "done in the air;" 1640s as "sprightly, light in movement;" 1660s as "visionary, speculative." Disparaging airy-fairy "unrealistic, fanciful" is attested from 1920 (earlier in a sense of "delicate or light as a fairy," which is how Tennyson used it in 1830).

ventilation (n.)

"process of replacing foul air in an enclosed place with fresh, pure air," 1660s, from Latin ventilationem (nominative ventilatio) "an exposing to the air," noun of action from past participle stem of ventilare (see ventilate).

drafty (adj.)

"exposed to drafts of air," 1580s, from draft "current of air" + -y (2). Related: Draftiness.

aerodynamics (n.)

"science of the motion of air or other gases," 1837, from aero- "air" + dynamics.

tune (n.)

early 14c., "a musical sound," unexplained variant of tone (n.). From late 14c. as "a well-rounded succession of musical notes, an air, melody." Meaning "state of being in proper pitch" is from mid-15c.

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