Elements of the Universe: Aer, Aero ("Air")

The ancients believed that the universe was composed of five basic elements: earth, air, fire, water, and sky. The Greek and Latin words for these elements still show up in our language today. Learn these words that come from the Greek word aer, meaning "air."

Here are links to our complete set of Elements of the Universe lists: Cosm, Cosmo ("Universe") / Terr, Terra ("Earth") / Geo ("Earth") / Hydr, Hydro ("Water") / Aqua ("Water") / Ign, Igni ("Fire") / Pyr, Pyro ("Fire") / Aer, Aero ("Air") / Aether ("Sky") / Aster, Astro ("Star") / Sol ("Sun")
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aerate
    fill, combine, or supply with oxygen
    Worms aerate and enrich the soil by burrowing into the sublayers. Seattle Times (Nov 25, 2014)
  2. aerial
    existing, living, growing, or operating in the air
    Unmanned aerial vehicles are useful tools for wildlife researchers because they can easily visit remote locations and observe animals from a distance. BBC (Aug 17, 2015)
  3. aerialist
    an acrobat who performs above the ground, as on a trapeze
    It is known for its cutting-edge shows that feature aerialists, acrobats and contortionists. Washington Times (Jun 30, 2015)
  4. aerobic
    enhancing respiratory and circulatory efficiency
    Spontaneous physical games such as hide and seek, tag and kickball can be great sources of aerobic exercise. US News (Aug 10, 2015)
  5. anaerobic
    living or active in the absence of free oxygen
    The great majority of the microbes live in the gut, particularly the large intestine, which serves as an anaerobic digestion chamber. Scientific American (Feb 25, 2015)
    an ("without") + aer + bios ("life") + ic (suffix forming adjectives)
  6. aerobe
    an organism that requires air or free oxygen for life
    The primary waste products of aerobes are water and carbon dioxide gas—inoffensive substances. Solomon, Steve
  7. aerosol
    a cloud of solid or liquid particles in a gas
    Soot is one type of aerosol produced by human activities, but there are also natural aerosols—sea spray, sulfate, or ammonium salts—in the atmosphere. Science Magazine (Jul 17, 2015)
    aer + solvere ("to loosen or scatter")
  8. aerodynamic
    designed to offer the least resistance while moving through air
    It’s also slightly less aerodynamic due to large air intake vents on the sides to help cool the engine. Washington Times (Jul 18, 2019)
    aer + dynamis ("power") + ic (suffix forming adjectives)
  9. aeronautics
    the theory and practice of navigation through air or space
    The public is invited to see the planes, watch aeronautics demonstrations and learn about civil aviation. Washington Times (Jun 6, 2015)
    aer + nautes ("sailor") + ics (suffix forming names of disciplines)
  10. aerospace
    the atmosphere and outer space considered as a whole
    At its peak, the mission involved some 400,000 people, many of whom worked at the giant aerospace companies that helped to build the rockets and spacecraft. Nature (Jul 9, 2019)
  11. aerodrome
    an airfield equipped with control tower and hangars as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo
    Eight aerodromes have been shortlisted as a potential base for the UK's first spaceplane flights, which ministers want to establish by 2018. BBC (Jul 15, 2014)
    aer + dromos ("course")
    The word was modeled after hippodrome (the Greek hippos means "horse"), where chariots raced around a course.
  12. aerophagia
    swallowing air
    Less commonly, intestinal gas can result from aerophagia, or swallowing air. US News (Jun 3, 2014)
    aer + phagein ("to eat") + ia (suffix forming names of diseases)
    Aerophagia can be caused by chewing gum, smoking, drinking soda, eating too fast, being too anxious, or undergoing surgery that requires anesthesia.
Created on Fri Aug 14 11:52:08 EDT 2015 (updated Mon Aug 26 14:56:53 EDT 2019)

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