Aerosolizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To turn a liquid or substance into a fine mist that can be spread through air circulation
2. To transform a material into tiny particles suspended in the air for easy inhalation or distribution
3. To convert a substance into fine particles that are dispersed in the air for effective delivery or application

Etymology: "Aerosolize" is a twentieth-century technical coinage, built from "aerosol" plus the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make into or treat as." The "aerosol" half is itself modern: it was formed in English from "aero-," drawn from Ancient Greek "aēr" (air, in the genitive "aéros"), joined to "sol," a clipped form of "solution," so the word literally names a solution suspended in air. The suffix has a much longer journey. It descends from Ancient Greek "-izein," passed into Late Latin as "-izare," moved through Middle French and Middle English, and settled into English as "-ize." Because English could attach it to almost any noun, it became a productive tool for coining new verbs, and "aerosolize" is one of the many verbs built that way to describe turning a liquid into a fine spray.

Synonyms: sprays, mist, atomizes, disperses, emulsifies

Antonyms: condenses, collects, aggregates, concentrates, solidifies