Aeolian

[ ee-oh-lee-uhn ]

/ iˈoʊ li ən /

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adjective

pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general.

Usually aeolian . of or caused by the wind; windblown.

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Origin of Aeolian

First recorded in 1595–1605; Aeoli(us) pertaining to Aeolus + -an adjective suffix; see -an

Words nearby Aeolian

Aeneas Silvius, Aeneid, Aeneolithic, aeneous, A.Eng., Aeolian, aeolian deposits, aeolian harp, Aeolian Islands, Aeolian mode, aeolian tone

Other definitions for Aeolian (2 of 2)

Aeolian²

or E·o·li·an

[ ee-oh-lee-uhn ]

/ iˈoʊ li ən /

adjective

Also Aeolic. belonging to a nation of people in ancient Greece named after Aeolus, its legendary founder.

(lowercase)Geology. noting or pertaining to sand or rock material carried or arranged by the wind.

noun

a member of one of the four main divisions of the prehistoric Greeks.Compare Achaean (def. 5), Dorian¹ (def. 2), Ionian (def. 3).

Aeolic (def. 1).

Origin of Aeolian

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin Aeoli(ī), (from Greek Aioleîs “the Aeolians,” with change of suffix) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Aeolian in a sentence

The two highest of these keys—the Hyper-lydian and the Hyper-aeolian—appear to have been added in the time of the Empire.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music|David Binning Monro
He added, presently, a great AEolian Orchestrelle, with a variety of music for his different moods.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete|Albert Bigelow Paine
The island here referred to is Hiera, one of the Aeolian isles, north-east of Sicily.
The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil
We owe to him the earliest counting-machine, and it was he who perfected the Aeolian harp, the speaking tube, and the microscope.
The Jesuits, 1534-1921|Thomas J. Campbell

Other observers narrate that they have heard the efficacy of Aeolian sounds spoken of in Scotland for producing sleep.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 483, April 4, 1885|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Aeolian (1 of 2)

aeolian

/ (iːˈəʊlɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to the wind; produced or carried by the wind

Word Origin for aeolian

C18: from Aeolus, god of the winds

British Dictionary definitions for Aeolian (2 of 2)

Aeolian

Eolian

/ (iːˈəʊlɪən) /

noun

a member of a Hellenic people who settled in Thessaly and Boeotia and colonized Lesbos and parts of the Aegean coast of Asia Minor

adjective

of or relating to this people or their dialect of Ancient Greek; Aeolic

of or relating to Aeolus

denoting or relating to an authentic mode represented by the ascending natural diatonic scale from A to A: the basis of the modern minor keySee also Hypo-

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Aeolian

aeolian

[ ē-ō′lē-ən ]

See eolian.