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English poet John Milton put a variant of aerie to good use in Paradise Lost (1667), writing, "… there the eagle and the stork / On cliffs and cedar tops their eyries build." But Milton wasn't the first to use the term, which comes to us via Medieval Latin and Old French and probably traces to an earlier Latin word, ager, meaning "field." English speakers had been employing aerie as a word for a bird's nest for more than a century when he penned those words. Eventually, aerie was applied to human dwellings as well as birds' nests. At first, this sense referred to dwellings nestled high up in mountains or hills. These days, you're also likely to hear high-rise city apartments or offices referred to as "aeries."
Examples of aerie in a Sentence
David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2025
Lee’s was an aerie at the top of the flagship Shubert Theatre, built in 1913, the same year the Times erected its second tower around the corner on 43rd Street.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
In addition to the customizable living space, the duplex aerie offers access to the Burj Khalifa’s swanky amenities, including a private residents lounge, a fitness center, tennis courts, landscaped gardens, and a 24-hour concierge service.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2025
Click here to see more photos of the West Palm Beach aerie.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aerie
Cite this Entry
“Aerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerie. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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