aerosol

noun

aero·sol | \ ˈer-ə-ˌsäl

Definition of aerosol

1 : a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols also aerosols plural : the fine particles of an aerosol stratospheric aerosols

2 : a substance (such as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol also : the container for this

Examples of aerosol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Larger bubbles enhance the release of aerosols into the air above the glass—bubbles on the order of 1.7mm across at the surface. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The secret to champagne’s universal appeal is the physics of bubbles," 31 Dec. 2018 Solar geoengineering would reflect light and heat away from Earth and back into space by injecting aerosols into the stratosphere, the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere. — Abigail Higgins, Vox, "10 ways the world is most likely to end, explained by scientists," 18 Oct. 2018 Thus, sneezing does not appear to make an important contribution to influenza virus shedding in aerosols. — Maggie Fox, NBC News, "Influenza might be spread simply by breathing, study finds," 19 Jan. 2018 In the simulation, reflective aerosols are injected at 15 and 30 degrees latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and the world makes no effort to cut its ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Geoengineering could stop warming but comes with side of sea-level rise," 31 Oct. 2018 Almost anything that’s legal is fair game: Think clothes, shoes, full-size toiletries (except aerosols), hairstyling tools, sleep-apnea machines, snacks, appliances (like a blender for protein smoothies). — Kelsey Ogletree, WSJ, "The Cure for Packing Anxiety—Or a Waste of Time and Money?," 23 Jan. 2019 What are hydrofluorocarbons? HFCs, found in aerosols and refrigerants, are a class of potent greenhouse gases that the Kigali amendment aims to reduce in the atmosphere. — Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: EPA delays public-records requests to avoid questions about Scott Pruitt, Democrat says," 12 June 2018 For fine hair, aerosol dry shampoos are a great way to plump and thicken. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Why Your Dry Shampoo Isn’t Working—And 3 Easy Ways to Fix It," 23 Oct. 2018 The purple particles represent dust, and the blue particles represent sea salt aerosols. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA's Global Aerosol Map Reveals the Long Reach of our Planet's Disasters," 27 Aug. 2018

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

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Last Updated

17 May 2019

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The first known use of aerosol was in 1918

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More Definitions for aerosol

aerosol

noun

English Language Learners Definition of aerosol

: a substance (such as hair spray or medicine) that is kept in a container under pressure and that is released as a fine spray when a button is pressed

See the full definition for aerosol in the English Language Learners Dictionary

aerosol

noun

aero·sol | \ ˈer-ə-ˌsäl

, -ˌsȯl\