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• aero
  aero

  adjective

  of or for aircraft.
• aero-
  aero-

  a combining form meaning “air,” used in formation of compound words.
• aero.
  aero.

  abbreviation

  aeronautic; aeronautical.

aero

¹ American  

[air-oh] / ˈɛər oʊ /

adjective

1. of or for aircraft.

2. of or relating to aeronautics.

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aero- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “air,” used in formation of compound words.

   aerodrome.

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aero. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. aeronautic; aeronautical.

2. aeronautics.

3. aerospace.

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aero- ¹ British  

combining form

1. denoting air, atmosphere, or gas

   aerodynamics

2. denoting aircraft

   aeronautics

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aero ² British  

/ ˈɛərəʊ /

noun

1. (modifier) of or relating to aircraft or aeronautics

   an aero engine

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aero ³ British  

abbreviation

1. an organization in the air-transport industry

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Usage

What does aero- mean? 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-.

Etymology

Origin of aero¹

1895–1900; aero- used as free form

Origin of aero-²

< Greek, equivalent to āer- (stem of āḗr air ¹ ) + -o- -o-

Example Sentences

You’re telling me engineers were chasing fractional gains in aero drag around the wheel wells with that grille hanging in the breeze?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

“We see further aero outperformance on strong relative earnings per share growth that more than offsets potential valuation downside,” he wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

According to JPMorgan, the “golden age” is under way for one subset: aero engines.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

As much as I honor the Sportback’s super-clean aero efficiency of 0.24 Cd, this presentation comes dangerously close to chintzy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

The aero careened violently and the pilot struggled with controls that were dead.

From Astounding Stories of Super-Science, December 1930 by Various