Aerologist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialist engaged in the examination of atmospheric conditions and phenomena linked to air quality and weather patterns
2. A professional dedicated to analyzing atmospheric conditions and studying various phenomena related to air quality and climate variations
3. A scientist who studies the properties and behaviors of the atmosphere and air-related phenomena

Etymology: "Aerologist" is built from two Greek-derived parts. "Aero-" comes from Greek "aēr," meaning air, and "-logist" comes from "-logy," the suffix for a field of study, combined with "-ist," a person who practises it. Put together, the word names someone who studies the air. The word's meaning is narrower than its parts suggest. An aerologist studies the atmosphere specifically as it bears on weather, so the term refers to the scientist rather than to anyone who simply studies flight or aircraft. This is a plain compound, and its sense follows directly from its pieces. Its neighbours in English follow the same pattern. "Aeronaut" and "aerodynamics" use the same "aero-" element, while "meteorologist," the more common modern term, comes from a different Greek root meaning "things high in the air," showing that English has more than one classical way of naming the same science.

Synonyms: atmospheric scientist, meteorologist