aerate

verb

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

Other Words from aerate Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about aerate

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Did You Know?

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

Unfortunately most homeowners never aerate their lawn. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "9 Biggest Lawn Care Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)," 8 July 2019 Officials are also looking into operational changes, such as installing devices to aerate reservoirs and adding devices in the water treatment plant, to help remove additional carbon organics from the surface water. — Raquel Baier, azcentral, "Excessive contaminant in water resolved, say Chandler officials," 4 June 2019 The Visayan both aerates the soil with its rooting as well as eats fallen fruits too large for birds, later dispersing the seeds throughout the forest via its waste, Gutierrez says. — Christine Dell'amore, National Geographic, "Meet the critically endangered pig with a rockstar mohawk," 22 Apr. 2019 Just be sure to stir the mixture every few days with a rake or a shovel—this will enable it to aerate and fully decompose faster. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "How to Start Composting," 8 Jan. 2019 That’s what’s happening as the steam wand casts its magic spell: heating and aerating the milk to produce the most stable foam. — Helen Czerski, WSJ, "The Magic Microbubbles of the Barista," 6 Sep. 2018 Some charge as little as $100 for aerating 5,000 square feet, which is dollars well spent when time is money. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Aerate Your Lawn," 16 May 2017 Rather than penning up these animals in factory farms, allowing them to graze over wider pastures can help restore grasslands as cattle, sheep, and pigs aerate the soil and enrich it with manure. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere, explained," 24 Oct. 2018 Unlike the seasonal player whose job is to aerate or insulate, fall clogs don’t have any real utility. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "A Search for the Perfect Fall Clog, the Bookworm’s Fashion Shoe," 17 Oct. 2018

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.