ae ['ā] -adj
- one
Ae·a·cus ['ē-ə-kəs] -n
- a son of Zeus who is given the Myrmidons as followers and becomes on his death a judge of the underworld
AEC -abbr
- Atomic Energy Commission
ae·cio·spore ['ē-shə-,spȯr, 'ē-sə-] -n
- one of the spores arranged within an aecium in a series like a chain
ae·ci·um ['ē-shē-əm, 'ē-sē-] -n, adj
- the fruiting body of a rust fungus in which the first binucleate spores are usu. produced
ae·des [ā-'ē-(,)dēz] -n, adj
- any of a genus ( Aedes) of mosquitoes including the vector of yellow fever, dengue, and other diseases
ae·dile ['ē-,dī(-ə)l, 'ē-dᵊl] -n
- an official in ancient Rome in charge of public works and games, police, and the grain supply
AEF -abbr
- American Expeditionary Force
Ae·ge·an [i-'jē-ən] -adj
- of or relating to the arm of the Mediterranean Sea east of Greece
- of or relating to the chiefly Bronze Age civilization of the islands of the Aegean Sea and the countries adjacent to it
ae·gis ['ē-jəs also 'ā-] -n
- a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena
- protection
- under the aegis of the Constitution
- controlling or conditioning influence
- many American mothers, under the aegis of benevolent permissiveness...actually neglect their children -- Time
- auspices, sponsorship
- under the aegis of the museum
- control or guidance esp. by an individual, group, or system
Ae·gis·thus [i-'jis-thəs] -n
- a lover of Clytemnestra slain with her by her son Orestes
Ae·ne·as [i-'nē-əs] -n
- a son of Anchises and Aphrodite, defender of Troy, and hero of Virgil's Aeneid
Ae·ne·o·lith·ic [ā-,ē-nē-ō-'li-thik] -adj
- of or relating to a transitional period between the Neolithic and Bronze ages in which some copper was used
ae·o·lian [ē-'ō-lē-ən, ē-'ōl-yən] -adj
- of or relating to Aeolus
- giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind
aeolian [ē-'ō-lē-ən, -'ōl-yən] -adj
(variant of eolian)
- borne, deposited, produced, or eroded by the wind
Ae·o·lian [ē-'ō-lē-ən, ā-, -'ōl-yən] -adj
- of or relating to Aeolis or its inhabitants
Aeolian -n
- a member of a group of Greek peoples of Thessaly and Boeotia that colonized Lesbos and the adjacent coast of Asia Minor
- aeolic
aeolian harp -n
- a box-shaped musical instrument having stretched strings usu. tuned in unison on which the wind produces varying harmonics over the same fundamental tone
Ae·ol·ic [ē-'ä-lik] -adj
- aeolian
Aeolic -n
- a group of ancient Greek dialects used by the Aeolians
Ae·o·lus ['ē-ə-ləs] -n
- the Greek god of the winds
ae·on ['ē-ən, 'ē-,än] -n
- an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time : age
- a very large division of geologic time usu. longer than an era
- a unit of geologic time equal to one billion years
ae·o·ni·an [ē-'ō-nē-ən] -adj
- lasting for an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time
ae·py·or·nis [,ē-pē-'ȯr-nəs] -n
- elephant bird
aeq -abbr
- equal
aer- -comb form
- air : atmosphere
- air and
- gas
- aviation
aer·ate ['er-,āt] -vt, n
- to supply or impregnate (as the soil or a liquid) with air
- to supply (the blood) with oxygen by respiration
- carbonate
- to make light or sparkling
aer·a·tor ['er-,ā-tər] -n
- one that aerates
- an apparatus for aerating something (as sewage)
aer·en·chy·ma [,er-'eŋ-kə-mə] -n
- modified parenchymatous tissue having large intracellular air spaces that is found esp. in aquatic plants where it facilitates gaseous exchange and maintains buoyancy
ae·ri·al ['er-ē-əl, ā-'ir-ē-əl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere
- existing or growing in the air rather than in the ground or in water
- high in the air
- operating or operated overhead on elevated cables or rails
- : suggestive of air: as
- lacking substance
- fanciful, ethereal
- visions of aerial joy -- P. B. Shelley
- of or relating to aircraft
- designed for use in, taken from, or operating from or against aircraft
- effected by means of aircraft
- of, relating to, or gained by the forward pass in football
aer·i·al ['er-ē-əl] -n
- antenna
- forward pass
- an acrobatic maneuver performed (as by skiers and gymnasts) in the air
- a ski event featuring aerials
ae·ri·al·ist ['er-ē-ə-list, ā-'ir-] -n
- one who performs feats in the air or above the ground esp. on the trapeze
aerial ladder -n
- a mechanically operated extensible ladder usu. mounted on a fire truck
aerial perspective -n
- the expression of space in painting by gradation of color and distinctness
ae·rie ['er-ē, 'ir-, 'ā-(ə-)rē] -n
- the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop
- a brood of birds of prey
- an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position
aero ['er-(,)ō] -adj
- of or relating to aircraft or aeronautics
- aerodynamic
aer·o·bat·ics [,er-ə-'ba-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr, n, adj
- spectacular flying feats and maneuvers (as rolls and dives)
aer·obe ['er-,ōb] -n
- an organism (as a bacterium) that lives only in the presence of oxygen
aer·o·bic [,er-'ō-bik] -adj, adv
- living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen
- of, relating to, or induced by aerobes
- involving, utilizing, or increasing oxygen consumption for metabolic processes in the body
- stationary bicycles used for aerobic conditioning
- relating to, resulting from, or used in aerobics
aer·o·bi·cize [,er-'ō-bə-,sīz] -vb
- to bring to good physical condition through aerobics
- to engage in aerobics
aer·o·bics [-biks] -n pl
- a system of physical conditioning involving exercises (as running, walking, swimming, or calisthenics) strenuously performed so as to cause marked temporary increase in respiration and heart rate
- aerobic exercises
aero·bi·ol·o·gy [,er-ō-bī-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- the science dealing with the occurrence, transportation, and effects of airborne materials (as viruses, pollen, or pollutants)
aero·bi·o·sis [,er-ō-bī-'ō-səs, -bē-] -n
- life in the presence of air or oxygen
aero·brake ['er-ō-,brāk] -vt
- to decelerate (as a spacecraft) by passage through a planetary atmosphere
aero·drome ['er-ə-,drōm] -n
- airfield
aero·dy·nam·i·cist [,er-ō-dī-'na-mə-sist] -n
- one who specializes in aerodynamics
aero·dy·nam·ics [-'na-miks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr, adj, adv
- a branch of dynamics that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and with the forces acting on bodies in motion relative to such fluids
aero·dyne ['er-ə-,dīn] -n
- a heavier-than-air aircraft (as an airplane, helicopter, or glider)
aero·elas·tic·i·ty [,er-ō-,ē-,las-'ti-sə-tē, -i-,las-] -n, adj
- distortion (as from bending) in a structure (as an airplane wing or a building) caused by aerodynamic forces
aero·em·bo·lism [,er-ō-'em-bə-,li-zəm] -n
- decompression sickness caused by rapid ascent to high altitudes and resulting exposure to rapidly lowered air pressure
aero·foil ['er-ə-,fȯi(-ə)l] -n
- airfoil
aero·gram ['er-ə-,gram] -n
- air letter
aer·og·ra·pher's mate [,er-'ä-grə-fərz-] -n
- a navy petty officer specializing in meteorology
aer·o·lite ['er-ə-,līt] -n
- a stony meteorite
aero·mag·net·ic [,er-ō-mag-'ne-tik] -adj
- of, relating to, or derived from a study of the earth's magnetic field esp. from the air
aero·me·chan·ics [-mə-'ka-niks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- mechanics that deals with the equilibrium and motion of gases and of solid bodies immersed in them
aero·med·i·cal [-'me-di-kəl] -adj
- of or relating to aeromedicine
- relating to or involving air transportation to a hospital
aero·med·i·cine [-'me-də-sən] -n
- a branch of medicine that deals with the diseases and disturbances arising from flying and the associated physiological and psychological problems
aer·om·e·ter [,er-'ä-mə-tər] -n
- an instrument for ascertaining the weight or density of air or other gases
aero·naut ['er-ə-,nȯt, -,nät] -n
- one who operates or travels in an airship or balloon
aero·nau·tics [,er-ə-'nȯ-tiks, -'nä-] -n pl but sing in constr, adj, adv
- a science dealing with the operation of aircraft
- the art or science of flight
aer·on·o·my [,er-'ä-nə-mē] -n, adj
- a science that deals with the physics and chemistry of the upper atmosphere of planets
aero·pho·bia [,er-ō-'fō-bē-ə] -n, adj or n
- fear or strong dislike of flying
aero·plane ['er-ə-,plān] -n
- airplane
aero·sol ['er-ə-,säl, -,sȯl] -n
- a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas
- smoke, fog, and mist are aerosol s
- the fine particles of an aerosol
- a substance (as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol
- the container for this
aero·sol·ize [-,sä-,līz, -,sȯ-, -sə-] -vt, n
- to disperse as an aerosol
aero·space ['er-ō-,spās] -n
- space comprising the earth's atmosphere and the space beyond
- a physical science that deals with aerospace
- the aerospace industry
aerospace -adj
- of or relating to aerospace, to vehicles used in aerospace or the manufacture of such vehicles, or to travel in aerospace
aerospace plane -n
- an airplane designed to be able to reach low earth orbit
aero·stat [-,stat] -n
- a lighter-than-air aircraft (as a balloon or blimp)
aero·stat·ics [,er-ō-'sta-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- a branch of statics that deals with the equilibrium of gaseous fluids and of solid bodies immersed in them
aero·ther·mo·dy·nam·ics [-,thər-mə-(,)dī-'na-miks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr, adj
- the thermodynamics of gases and esp. of air
aery ['er-ē, 'ā-ə-rē] -adj, adv
- having an aerial quality : ethereal
aery ['er-ē, 'ir-, 'ā-(ə-)rē] -n
(variant of aerie)
- the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop
- a brood of birds of prey
- an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position
Aes·cu·la·pi·an [,es-k(y)ə-'lā-pē-ən] -adj
- of or relating to Aesculapius or the healing art
Ae·sir ['ā-,zir, -,sir] -n pl
- the principal race of Norse gods
Ae·so·pi·an [ē-'sō-pē-ən, -'sä-] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of Aesop or his fables
- conveying an innocent meaning to an outsider but a hidden meaning to a member of a conspiracy or underground movement
aes·thete ['es-,thēt, Brit usu 'ēs-] -n
- one having or affecting sensitivity to the beautiful esp. in art
aes·thet·ic [es-'the-tik, is-, Brit usu ēs-] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful
- artistic
- a work of aesthetic value
- pleasing in appearance : attractive
- easy-to-use keyboards, clear graphics, and other ergonomic and aesthetic features -- Mark Mehler
- appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful
- responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses
aesthetic -n
- a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty
- a particular theory or conception of beauty or art : a particular taste for or approach to what is pleasing to the senses and esp. sight
- staging new ballets which reflected the aesthetic of the new nation -- Mary Clarke Clement Crisp
- a pleasing appearance or effect : beauty
- appreciated the aesthetic s of the gemstones
aesthetic distance -n
- the frame of reference that an artist creates by the use of technical devices in and around the work of art to differentiate it psychologically from reality
aes·the·ti·cian [,es-thə-'ti-shən] -n
- a specialist in aesthetics
- cosmetologist
aes·thet·i·cism [es-'the-tə-,si-zəm, is-] -n
- a doctrine that the principles of beauty are basic to other and esp. moral principles
- devotion to or emphasis on beauty or the cultivation of the arts
aes·thet·i·cize [-,sīz] -vt
- to make aesthetic
aestival ['es-tə-vəl] -adj
(variant of estival)
- of or relating to the summer
aestivate [-,vāt] -vi
(variant of estivate)
- to spend the summer usu. at one place
- to pass the summer in a state of torpor
aet -abbr
- of age; aged
aether ['ē-thər] -n, adj
(variant of ether)
- the rarefied element formerly believed to fill the upper regions of space
- the upper regions of space : heavens
- a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves
- airwaves
- a light volatile flammable liquid C 4H 10O used chiefly as a solvent and esp. formerly as an anesthetic
- any of a class of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom attached to two carbon atoms
aetiology [,ē-tē-'ä-lə-jē] -n
(variant of etiology)
- cause, origin
- the cause of a disease or abnormal condition
- a branch of knowledge concerned with causes
- a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases