Aeolian
1 Americanadjective
noun
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 key See also Hypo-
Etymology
Origin of Aeolian1
First recorded in 1595–1605; Aeoli(us) pertaining to Aeolus + -an adjective suffix; see -an
Origin of Aeolian2
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin Aeoli(ī), (from Greek Aioleîs “the Aeolians,” with change of suffix) + -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s one of the Aeolian islands in Italy, and it looks out on Stromboli.
From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2023
At first we turned to nature: The Aeolian harps found across ancient civilizations required only the intervention of the wind to share their song.
From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2023
The largest, is a £1.98m contract with Aeolian Offshore Ltd, a company based in the Isle of Wight.
From BBC • Aug. 30, 2022
The Italian coastguard is struggling to free a sperm whale caught up in illegal fishing netting off the coast of one of Sicily’s Aeolian islands.
From The Guardian • Jul. 20, 2020
Four vocalists were to be chosen to compete in the final round, but soon after Marian had returned from Aeolian Hall to Boghetti’s New York studio, the phone rang.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.