Inflater

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device or component designed to increase the volume of air or gas within an object, such as a tire or balloon
2. A system implemented to expand or augment a space or structure, typically by introducing air
3. An apparatus utilized for the purpose of creating inflation, often found in recreational or industrial applications

Etymology: An inflater is simply a machine or device that inflates things with air, built by adding the agent suffix "-er" to "inflate." That suffix has a long pedigree. It descends from a Proto-Indo-European pattern that passed through Proto-Italic and Latin "-arius," which denoted a person or thing connected with a function, then through Proto-Germanic and Old English "-ere," and reached English through Old French "-ier" and Middle English "-er." The verb underneath, "inflate," comes from Latin "inflare," meaning "to blow into," built from "in-" and "flare," "to blow." So the core idea is literally blowing air into something. The suffix does the rest, turning an action into the name of the tool that performs it, the same way a "baker" bakes or a "cooker" cooks.

Synonyms: pump, blower, compressor, inflation device, air pump