14. (Paint.) (a) The representation or reproduction of the effect of the atmospheric medium through
which every object in nature is viewed. New Am. Cyc. (b) Carriage; attitude; action; movement; as, the
head of that portrait has a good air. Fairholt.
15. (Man.) The artificial motion or carriage of a horse.
Air is much used adjectively or as the first part of a compound term. In most cases it might be written
indifferently, as a separate limiting word, or as the first element of the compound term, with or without
the hyphen; as, air bladder, air-bladder, or airbladder; air cell, air-cell, or aircell; air-pump, or airpump.
Air balloon.
See Balloon. — Air bath. (a) An apparatus for the application of air to the body. (b)
An arrangement for drying substances in air of any desired temperature. — Air castle. See Castle
in the air, under Castle. — Air compressor, a machine for compressing air to be used as a motive
power. — Air crossing, a passage for air in a mine. — Air cushion, an air-tight cushion which can
be inflated; also, a device for arresting motion without shock by confined air. — Air fountain, a contrivance
for producing a jet of water by the force of compressed air. — Air furnace, a furnace which depends
on a natural draft and not on blast. — Air line, a straight line; a bee line. Hence Air-line, adj.; as,
air-line road. — Air lock (Hydr. Engin.), an intermediate chamber between the outer air and the compressed-
air chamber of a pneumatic caisson. Knight. — Air port (Nav.), a scuttle or porthole in a ship to
admit air. — Air spring, a spring in which the elasticity of air is utilized. — Air thermometer, a form
of thermometer in which the contraction and expansion of air is made to measure changes of temperature.
— Air threads, gossamer. — Air trap, a contrivance for shutting off foul air or gas from drains, sewers,
etc.; a stench trap. — Air trunk, a pipe or shaft for conducting foul or heated air from a room. — Air
valve, a valve to regulate the admission or egress of air; esp. a valve which opens inwardly in a steam
boiler and allows air to enter. — Air way, a passage for a current of air; as the air way of an air pump; an
air way in a mine. — In the air. (a) Prevalent without traceable origin or authority, as rumors. (b)
Not in a fixed or stable position; unsettled. (c) (Mil.) Unsupported and liable to be turned or taken in
flank; as, the army had its wing in the air. — To take air, to be divulged; to be made public. — To
take the air, to go abroad; to walk or ride out.
Air
(Air) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aired (ârd); p. pr. & vb. n. Airing.] [See Air, n., and cf. Aërate.]
1. To expose to the air for the purpose of cooling, refreshing, or purifying; to ventilate; as, to air a room.
It were good wisdom . . . that the jail were aired.
Bacon.
Were you but riding forth to air yourself.
Shak.
2. To expose for the sake of public notice; to display ostentatiously; as, to air one's opinion.
Airing a snowy hand and signet gem.
Tennyson.
3. To expose to heat, for the purpose of expelling dampness, or of warming; as, to air linen; to air liquors.
Air bed
(Air" bed`) A sack or matters inflated with air, and used as a bed.
Air bladder
(Air" blad`der)
1. (Anat.) An air sac, sometimes double or variously lobed, in the visceral cavity of many fishes. It
originates in the same way as the lungs of air-breathing vertebrates, and in the adult may retain a tubular
connection with the pharynx or esophagus.
2. A sac or bladder full of air in an animal or plant; also an air hole in a casting.
Air brake
(Air" brake`) (Mach.) A railway brake operated by condensed air. Knight.