aero

Aero– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “air.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

Aero– comes from Greek āḗr, meaning “air.”

What are variants of aero-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, aero– becomes aer–, as in aerate. When combined with word elements of Latin origin, aero– becomes aeri–, as in aeriferous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for aer– and aeri-.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features aero– is aerosol, “a system of colloidal particles dispersed in a gas and commonly formed as smoke, fog, mist, haze, or smog.”

We know aero– means “air,” and the –sol portion of the word means “a fluid colloidal solution.” Aerosol roughly translates to “a substance dispersed in the air.”

What are some words that use the combining form aero-?

• aerocele
• aerodyne
• aerofoil
• aerometer
• aeronaut (using the equivalent form of aero– in French)
• aeroplane (using the equivalent form of aero– in French)
• aerophyte

What are some other forms that aero– may be commonly confused with?

• aesthesio-
• agri-
• agro-

The combining form –phyte means “plant.” With this in mind, what does aerophyte mean?