Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr
Date: 14th century
1 aarchaic:breathb: the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth c: a light breeze 2 a: empty space b:nothingness<vanished into thin air>c: a sudden severance of relations <she gave me the air> 3[probably translation of Italian aria]a:tune, melodybElizabethan & Jacobean music: an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form c: the chief voice part or melody in choral music 4 a: outward appearance of a thing <an air of luxury>b: a surrounding or pervading influence :atmosphere<an air of mystery>c: the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion :demeanor<an air of dignity>d: an artificial or affected manner <put on airs> 5: public utterance <he gave air to his opinion> 6:compressed air 7 a (1):aircraft<go by air>(2):aviation<air safety><air rights>(3):air force<air headquarters>b (1): the medium of transmission of radio waves; also:radio, television<went on the air>(2):airtime 8: a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass <trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air> 9: an air-conditioning system 10: the height achieved in performing an aerial maneuver <a snowboarder catching big air>; also: the maneuver itself