aerial
aerial Lexical Profile
aerial Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Existing, happening, or operating in the air, or performed using an aircraft.
"The conservation team conducted an aerial survey of the rainforest to monitor deforestation."
Growing or existing above the ground or water rather than beneath the surface (used of plant parts such as roots or stems).
"Banyan trees are famous for their extensive aerial roots that grow downward from the branches to the soil."
Consisting of, resembling, or relating to the atmosphere or gas; light and insubstantial like air.
"The painter used soft, pale brushstrokes to give the distant mountain peaks an aerial quality."
• noun
British A metallic rod, wire, or other structure by which radio, television, or electromagnetic signals are transmitted or received.
"After the storm, they had to adjust the rooftop aerial to restore their television reception."
An acrobatic maneuver in gymnastics, skiing, skateboarding, or surfing in which a person performs a flip or turn completely in the air without touching the ground or apparatus.
"The gymnast landed a flawless side aerial on the balance beam during her championship routine."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'aerial' (relating to the air or an antenna) with the homophone 'ariel' (a type of gazelle or a literary name) or the typeface 'Arial'.
• Rhymes for aerial
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin 'aerius' (of the air, lofty), which derives from Ancient Greek 'aerios' and 'aer' (the lower atmosphere or mist), combined with the English adjectival suffix '-al'.