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Meaning & use

aerosol

noun, adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈeərəsɒl/
US/ˈerəsɔːl/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A metal can that holds liquid under pressure and releases it as a fine mist when you press a button.

    Grammar: Often used for the container: an aerosol of paint.

    Patterns

    • an aerosol of something
    • a can of aerosol

    He sprayed the lock with an aerosol of lubricant.

    Never leave an aerosol in a hot car.

    The shelf was crowded with aerosols of hairspray and deodorant.

  2. nouncountabletechnicalspecialist

    A cloud of very tiny solid or liquid particles floating in air or another gas.

    Grammar: Used in science and health reporting: aerosols in the atmosphere.

    Patterns

    • an aerosol of something
    • aerosol particles

    Volcanoes release aerosols that can cool the planet.

    Coughs can spread viruses as aerosols that hang in the air.

    The study measured aerosol levels over the city.

  3. adjectivebefore a noun

    Sold in or released from a pressurized spray can.

    Grammar: Goes before a noun: aerosol paint.

    Patterns

    • aerosol spray
    • aerosol can

    Aerosol paint dries quickly on metal.

    The aerosol can warned against use near flames.

    She bought an aerosol air freshener.

Word forms

pluralaerosols

Common combinations

aerosol can
Dispose of an empty aerosol can carefully.
aerosol spray
The aerosol spray covered the wall in minutes.
aerosol paint
Graffiti artists use aerosol paint.
airborne aerosol
An airborne aerosol can carry a virus.
aerosol particles
Aerosol particles stay in the air for hours.

Synonyms and how they differ

spray
Spray names the mist or the act of spraying, while aerosol is the can or the finely divided cloud.
atomizer
An atomizer makes a mist without a pressurized can, often by squeezing a bulb.
spray can
Spray can is the casual name for the container.

Word family

aerosolize verb
to turn into a fine airborne mist
aerosolized adjective
released as an aerosol
aerosolization noun
the process of forming an aerosol
aero- prefix
relating to air

Commonly confused: aerosol or aerosal? aerosol or aeroplane?

aerosol vs aerosal

The spelling aerosal is wrong; the correct form ends in -sol, from the word solution.

aerosol vs aeroplane

Aeroplane is a British word for an aircraft and is unrelated, despite the shared start.

Practice

Scientists studied how tiny ____ in the air carry the virus from person to person.

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