aerosol

aero·sol | \ ˈer-ə-ˌsäl

, -ˌsȯl

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 Over the course of several weeks, the researchers collected samples of seawater and aerosols suspended about 20 meters (66 feet) above the ship. — Author: Maddie Stone, Anchorage Daily News, "Bacteria from the ocean floor could be influencing Arctic weather," 17 Nov. 2019 Secondhand aerosol poses some risk to people in the proximity of e-cigarettes, which are often used indoors because the odorless vapor doesn’t seem harmful, like tobacco smoke. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "Technology Sabotaged Public Safety," 10 Oct. 2019 Under this scenario, models indicate that there is no near-term spike in global warming caused by a drop in aerosols. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "We can phase out fossil fuels fast without having a burst of warming," 19 Sep. 2019 When the sun rises or sets, its rays strike the atmosphere at an angle—forcing the light to travel farther and filter through more particles known as aerosols. — Alex Fox, Science | AAAS, "This sulfur-spewing Russian volcano is turning sunsets purple," 13 Sep. 2019 Vaping has grown increasingly more popular among young people in recent years and involves inhaling an aerosol created from heated liquid that often contains nicotine or THC — the compound in marijuana that produces a high. — Kate Thayer, chicagotribune.com, "5 deaths have been linked to vaping. Officials are urging consumers to stop.," 7 Sep. 2019 The cooling effect of fragrant terpene aerosols from coniferous boreal forests was decreasing, and aeolian accumulations of dust on the Loess Plateau indicated that human existence did not coincide with a high-carbon atmosphere until 1965. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 25 Nov. 2019 Those vessels will likely release black carbon, an aerosol formed by diesel engines. — Shannon Hall, Science | AAAS, "How to erase a ship—Arctic researchers work to eliminate their vessel’s fingerprints," 13 Nov. 2019 Despite the name, the devices don't actually vaporize the liquid, but rather turn it into an aerosol. — Jayne O'donnell, USA TODAY, "Vaping devices under scrutiny as lung illness outbreak continues to vex health officials," 23 Oct. 2019

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

13 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Aerosol.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerosol. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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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 \