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

“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

DRS no longer exists because of active aero, which allows both the rear and front wings to adjust angles on the straights to reduce drag and to increase downforce in the corners.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 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

Monoplane aero boat, with one very deep step.

From Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913 by Various