aerosol

[air-uh-sawl, -sol]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aerosol ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Physical Chemistry. a system of colloidal particles dispersed in a gas; smoke or fog.

a liquid substance, as a disinfectant or deodorant, sealed in a metal container under pressure with an inert gas or other activating agent and released as a spray or foam through a push-button valve or nozzle: an aerosol for cleaning ovens.

aerosol bomb.

adjective

of or containing a liquid or gas under pressure for dispensing as a spray or foam: a deodorant available in aerosol cans.

Origin of aerosol

First recorded in 1920–25; aero- + sol⁴

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for aerosol

sprinkler, froth, splash, fog, moisture, drizzle, duster, spindrift, atomizer, vaporizer, spray

Examples from the Web for aerosol

Contemporary Examples of aerosol

So Rey and Maupin sprayed the guards with their own Mace-type aerosol and took off running in a panic.
The Mad Shooter of Paris Is a ‘Natural Born Killer’
Christopher Dickey
November 21, 2013
One Christian man complained about “the idea that angels would forsake their divinity for aerosol cologne,” according to Jezebel.
11 Ads Banned from TV
Shannon Donnelly
November 1, 2011
The aerosol mist of blood would have been visible through the scope.
Exclusive Excerpt: MLK's Haunting Final Hours
Hampton Sides
April 24, 2010

Historical Examples of aerosol

A drop or so of the aerosol on the skin is enough, I understand.
Damned If You Don't
Gordon Randall Garrett
She flinched and misted a cloud of aerosol capsicum ahead of her.
Makers
Cory Doctorow
Solvents and aerosol sprays also decrease the heart and respiratory rates, and impair judgment.
What Works: Schools Without Drugs
United States Department of Education

British Dictionary definitions for aerosol

aerosol

noun

a colloidal dispersion of solid or liquid particles in a gas; smoke or fog

a substance, such as a paint, polish, or insecticide, dispensed from a small metal container by a propellant under pressure

Also called: air spray such a substance together with its container

Word Origin for aerosol

C20: from aero- + sol (ution)

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

Word Origin and History for aerosol

1919, from aero- "air" + first syllable in solution. A term in physics; modern commercial application is from 1940s.

aerosol in Medicine

aerosol

[âr′ə-sôl′]

n.

A gaseous suspension of fine solid or liquid particles.

A substance, such as a drug containing therapeutically active ingredients, packaged under pressure with a gaseous propellant for release as a spray of fine particles.

aerosol in Science

aerosol

[âr′ə-sôl′]

A substance consisting of very fine particles of a liquid or solid suspended in a gas. Mist, which consists of very fine droplets of water in air, is an aerosol. Compare emulsion foam.

A liquid substance, such as paint, an insecticide, or a hair spray, packaged under pressure for use or application as a fine spray.