aerosolize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to disperse or discharge as an aerosol.
a liquid that is too thick to aerosolize;
techniques that aerosolize the fuel prior to combustion.
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Physiology, Pathology. to release (the droplets, or fine particles, within one’s respiratory system) into the air as part of the process of talking, breathing, whistling, coughing, sneezing, etc..
Even when you sing, you’re aerosolizing particles from your respiratory tract.
With every cough and sneeze, the infected person profusely aerosolizes viral pathogens.
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to contain or pack in aerosol form.
Now I’ve heard everything—they’ve aerosolized coffee that I can just spray into my cream.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aerosolize
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.
See Examples For:
“Even if something might be natural, if you aerosolize it and spread it across buildings, it’s not necessarily great,” UCLA’s Spokoyny said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
In the “dairy parlors” that commercial farms use to milk cows, floors are often cleaned using high-pressure water sprayers, which could aerosolize the virus, he notes.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 1, 2024
A few days later the two men attended an Earth Day event in San Francisco, where they helped children launch their own small balloons, coated with chalk dust, which could aerosolize.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 20, 2023
In their study, published in the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology, the researchers found a way to successfully aerosolize the particles so they could see what happened to them when inhaled.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2023
But on March 10, with supplies dwindling, the C.D.C. announced that less protective surgical masks were “an acceptable alternative” except during procedures that might aerosolize the virus.
From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2020
“Could a cruise member have been cleaning up an area and incidentally aerosolized some rodent droppings?” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional physician chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
And even craft that burn up completely might cause harm; researchers are concerned that the aerosolized metal could be damaging the ozone layer, reversing years of progress in protecting it.
From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2025
The flu virus could become aerosolized when milking parlors are cleaned with high-pressure hoses.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 25, 2024
When ready to mate, females release a plume of aerosolized alkaloids derived from the plants they ate as caterpillars.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2024
She lifts the mask off her face and a white puff of aerosolized medicine dissipates in front of her.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
But scientists and physicians quibble about everything else that could be an aerosolizing procedure: nebulizer treatments for asthma, chest tubes inserted for collapsed lungs, suctioning, CPR.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2020
But those rules didn’t mandate N95s – known to block viruses – for workers who, like Cain, were providing care but weren’t performing aerosolizing treatments, which can release virus particles into the air.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 30, 2020
One nurse described how they had been instructed not to perform certain procedures without full protective equipment because of the risk of aerosolizing the virus and infecting staff.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2020
An atmospheric researcher told the LA Times last month in a different article that she was worried about the ocean aerosolizing particles of coronavirus, sort of sneezing them back into the air.
From Slate ● May 28, 2020
In an enclosed doctor’s office, she and her partner gave the man a nebulizer, which creates a mist infused with medication and is suspected of aerosolizing the virus.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2020
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