Chapter Air to Alabastrum of A by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

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.