aerate

verb

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aer·ate | \ ˈer-ˌāt

aerated; aerating

Definition of aerate

transitive verb

1 : to supply or impregnate (something, such as the soil or a liquid) with air

2 : to supply (the blood) with oxygen by respiration

3a British : carbonate sense 2

b : to make light or sparkling

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Faucet aerators and aerating showerheads can be easily installed by homeowners to cut water (and especially hot water) use by as much as 50%. A lawn aerator removes little plugs of soil in order to let air deep into the soil, greatly improving the quality of soil that may have gotten too compacted. And a pond aerator, such as a fountain, is a necessity for an ornamental pond with no stream feeding it, since oxygen in the water is necessary to prevent the growth of algae and allow fish to live.

Examples of aerate in a Sentence

You should aerate the soil before planting the seeds.

Recent Examples on the Web Lawns sodded last summer should be OK to aerate now. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 13 Apr. 2021 Worms can help aerate a garden and speed up composting, Keezell said, and gardeners should focus on watering the bottom of stems and avoid the leaves to prevent fungus growth on plants. — BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2021 Before sowing seeds, rake any leaves or debris from the area and tap the ground with a hard rake to aerate the soil and allow growing roots to penetrate. — Anne Marie Chaker, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2021 Shake briefly to aerate and incorporate the ingredients, then dump contents into a rocks glass. — Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2021 The best time to aerate cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass that make up most Chicago-area lawns is in spring and fall, when the grasses are actively growing. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 13 Apr. 2021 Like earthworms, sea cucumbers aerate ocean sediments by sucking up sediment like a vacuum, consuming some micro-organisms and then spitting the dirt back out, according to the University of Newcastle Australia. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2021 Every day, even in her 90s, my grandmother would reach her arm into the bucket and aerate the bran. — New York Times, 2 Jan. 2021 Those ecosystem engineers aerate the soil and create underground passageways that make soil more amenable for other life. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 4 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aerate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.