Aerating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Introducing air into a material such as soil, water, or food to improve its quality or condition
2. The process of circulating or mixing air through a medium to increase oxygen or freshness
3. Allowing air to penetrate and mix within a substance to enhance its properties or effect

Etymology: "Aerating" is the present participle of "aerate," the verb for supplying air to something, as when water is oxygenated or a lawn is perforated. "Aerate" combines Latin "aer," meaning "air," with the English suffix "-ate," which forms verbs meaning to act upon or treat something in a certain way. Latin "aer" was itself borrowed from Greek "aēr," so the term ultimately traces back to the Greek word for the air we breathe. French has a close parallel in "aérer," meaning to air out or ventilate.

Synonyms: ventilating, oxygenating