Air

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛə/

Definitions

1. A mixture of gases surrounding Earth that humans and animals breathe to survive
2. A mixture of gaseous substances that constitutes the atmosphere, crucial for the survival of all aerobic organisms and for various ecological processes
3. The invisible mixture of gases that envelops the planet, essential for sustaining life and playing a vital role in weather conditions

Etymology: The word "air" is a survivor of a long and bumpy rivalry. Old English had its own word for the sky and the atmosphere, "lyft", which is related to "lift" and "loft" and carries the sense of something raised up. Over the centuries, "air" pushed "lyft" out of common use, and "lyft" faded away entirely, leaving "air" to cover the whole meaning. The modern sense of "air" as the gases surrounding the Earth is therefore a replacement of a native English word. Because "lyft" was displaced rather than borrowed in a clean, single step, "air" ended up absorbing meanings that once belonged to its rival, such as the open sky above us and the breathable mixture we inhale.

Synonyms: atmosphere, sky, aether

Antonyms: ground, earth