Aerators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Devices that introduce air or oxygen into a liquid or soil to improve quality or facilitate biological processes
2. Instruments used to enhance the dissolution of gases into liquids by increasing surface area and agitation
3. Equipment aimed at promoting the oxygenation of water bodies or promoting soil aeration for healthier plant growth

Etymology: Aerators is simply the plural of "aerator", so the history belongs to the singular. The word is formed from "aerate" plus the agent suffix "-or", which English took from Latin "-tor" through Old French and Middle English. "Aerate" in turn comes from Latin "aer", borrowed from Greek "āēr", meaning air, the same root that gives us "aerial" and "aerobic". The basic sense of "aerate" is to charge something with air, and the Latin root has a direct physical meaning that the modern term keeps. A tool that aerates therefore does literally what its name says: it puts air into water or soil. Its uses in ponds, lakes and lawns follow directly from that original idea.

Synonyms: aeration device, oxygenator, air pump