Aerification

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɛːɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The action of creating air channels within a medium is used to enhance health and performance
2. This method involves the perforation of surfaces to facilitate better aeration and growth
3. The process of introducing air into soil or other materials aims to improve drainage and promote root health and vitality

Etymology: Aerification is a technical coinage from the horticultural world, built from the Latin "aer" (air) and the suffix "-fication", which comes from Latin "-ficatio", a noun-forming ending meaning "the act of making". Put together, the word literally means "the act of making (something) airy", and it describes the work of punching small holes into turf or lawns so that air, water and nutrients can reach the roots. Its English use dates from the twentieth century, when grounds-keeping and golf-course maintenance were developing specialised vocabularies. The word's shape is a useful clue to how it works. Its base, "aer", is the Latin form of the Greek "aēr", which is also the source of "aerial", "aerobic" and "aeroplane", so the same root that gives English its words for flying and breathing sits at the heart of a gardening term. Words built on "-fication" follow a common pattern, as in "simplification" or "purification", which is why a reader can parse this one even without having met it before.

Synonyms: aeration, ventilation, oxygenation, breathing, exposure