ariel
ariel Lexical Profile
ariel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The fourth-largest moon of the planet Uranus, discovered in 1851 by William Lassell and characterized by an icy surface crisscrossed with extensive canyons and ridges.
"Astronomers analyzed high-resolution images of Ariel to study the geological history of the Uranian system."
A small, slender gazelle (especially a subspecies of the dorcas gazelle or Arabian gazelle, family Bovidae) native to the arid deserts of the Middle East and North Africa, characterized by a sandy-fawn coat and curved, ringed horns.
"The fleet-footed ariel bounded across the rocky desert plain at dawn."
Australian An Australian flying phalanger or sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a small nocturnal arboreal marsupial capable of gliding between trees using a furred membrane stretched between its limbs.
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'ariel' (a desert gazelle or the moon of Uranus) with its homophone 'aerial' (an adjective meaning in the air, or a noun referring to a radio antenna).
• Rhymes for ariel
Word Origin & Etymology
In its zoological sense, the word derives from Arabic 'aryil' (a type of gazelle), influenced by the Hebrew proper name 'Ari'el' meaning 'lion of God'.