aerate

verb

aer·​ate ˈer-ˌāt 

aerated; aerating

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

3

a

British : carbonate sense 2

b

: to make light or sparkling

aeration

ˌer-ˈā-shən 

noun

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

Like daikons and comfrey, milk thistle’s long, penetrating roots draw nutrients up from deep in the soil and aerate dense garden beds. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 June 2025

City officials say that in recent years, the park’s grass has significantly deteriorated and needs to be aerated and seeded. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025

Garden soils used in containers, even when mixed with compost, will generally be slow to drain and poorly aerated, causing plants to perform poorly. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025

Entomologist Shadrack Muya, a senior lecturer at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, told the Associated Press that garden ants are important for aerating soils, enhancing soil fertility and dispersing seeds. —Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin āerātus, past participle of āerārī "to combine with carbonic acid," derivative of Latin āer air entry 1

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

aerate

verb

aer·​ate ˈa(-ə)r-ˌāt 

ˈe(-ə)r-

aerated; aerating

1

: to expose to or supply or fill to the limit with air

aerate the soil

2

: to supply (blood) with oxygen by respiration

3

: to combine or fill with gas

aeration

ˌa(-ə)r-ˈā-shən 

ˌe(-ə)r-

noun

aerator

ˈa(-ə)r-ˌāt-ər

ˈe(-ə)r-

noun

Medical Definition

aerate

transitive verb

aer·​ate ˈa(-ə)r-ˌāt, ˈe(-ə)r- 

aerated; aerating

1

: to supply (the blood) with oxygen by respiration

2

: to supply or impregnate (as a liquid) with air

3

British : carbonate sense 2

aeration

ˌa(-ə)r-ˈā-shən, ˌe(-ə)r- 

noun