aerosol

noun

1
: a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas
Smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols.
airborne aerosol transmission of infective viral particles
also, aerosols plural : the fine particles of an aerosol
stratospheric aerosols
2
: a substance (such as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol
also : the container for this

Examples of aerosol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While understanding such information is important from many climate perspectives, there are relationships between aerosols (small particles in the atmosphere), clouds, and phytoplankton. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 As humanity becomes increasingly dependent on information beamed down from above, the report predicts manmade debris will make up 50% of stratospheric aerosols in coming decades, matching the amount created naturally by the galaxy. Bill Weir, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 So fewer aerosols in the atmosphere might inadvertently hasten global warming. Justine Calma, The Verge, 8 Feb. 2024 In the complaint, obtained by TechCrunch, Tesla allegedly improperly labeled and disposed of materials such as lead acid batteries and other batteries, paints, brake fluid, aerosols, antifreeze, acetone, diesel fuel, and more at its production and service facilities across California. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2024 Secondary organic aerosols were associated with a 6.5 times higher mortality rate than PM2.5. Virginia Gewin, Scientific American, 8 Feb. 2024 But modeling the extraordinary complexity of an atmosphere swirling with aerosols remains difficult. Matt Simon, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 The regulations reduced the upper limit of sulfur allowed in fuels in an effort to clean up air pollution in ports and coastal areas, but may have had an unintended planetary warming effect because the aerosols were reflecting sunlight away from Earth. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023 The mission will shed light on how aerosols and clouds as well as phytoplankton in the ocean serve as indicators for ocean health and global warming. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aerosol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

aero- + -sol (in hydrosol)

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerosol was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near aerosol

Cite this Entry

“Aerosol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerosol. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aerosol

noun
aero·​sol ˈar-ə-ˌsäl How to pronounce aerosol (audio) ˈer- How to pronounce aerosol (audio)
-ˌsȯl
: a mixture of fine solid or liquid particles and gas
smoke and fog are aerosols

Medical Definition

aerosol

noun
aero·​sol ˈar-ə-ˌsäl How to pronounce aerosol (audio) ˈer- How to pronounce aerosol (audio)
-ˌsȯl
1
: a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas
smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols
2
: a substance (as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol
also : the container for this

More from Merriam-Webster on aerosol

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