Aeolian

¹ American  

[ee-oh-lee-uhn] / iˈoʊ li ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general.

2. Usually aeolian of or caused by the wind; windblown.

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Aeolian ² American  

[ee-oh-lee-uhn] / iˈoʊ li ən /

Or Eolian

adjective

1. Also belonging to a nation of people in ancient Greece named after Aeolus, its legendary founder.

2. (lowercase) noting or pertaining to sand or rock material carried or arranged by the wind.

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noun

1. a member of one of the four main divisions of the prehistoric Greeks.

2. Aeolic.

aeolian ¹ British  

/ iːˈəʊlɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the wind; produced or carried by the wind

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Aeolian ² British  

/ iːˈəʊlɪən /

noun

1. a member of a Hellenic people who settled in Thessaly and Boeotia and colonized Lesbos and parts of the Aegean coast of Asia Minor

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adjective

1. of or relating to this people or their dialect of Ancient Greek; Aeolic

2. of or relating to Aeolus

3. denoting or relating to an authentic mode represented by the ascending natural diatonic scale from A to A: the basis of the modern minor key See also Hypo-

aeolian Scientific  

/ ē-ō′lē-ən /

1. See eolian

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Etymology

Origin of Aeolian¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; Aeoli(us) pertaining to Aeolus + -an adjective suffix; -an

Origin of Aeolian²

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin Aeoli(ī), (from Greek Aioleîs “the Aeolians,” with change of suffix) + -an

Example Sentences

Experts at navigating the steep landscape of Alicudi, in the Aeolian archipelago north of Sicily, the goats have become a problem as they damage gardens and allotments.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

It’s one of the Aeolian islands in Italy, and it looks out on Stromboli.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2023

At first we turned to nature: The Aeolian harps found across ancient civilizations required only the intervention of the wind to share their song.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2023

The Aeolian Islands off Sicily each have their own beauty, but Panarea is the oldest.

From The Guardian • Aug. 31, 2017

Then they headed for Aeolian Hall, where the competition to select the winning vocalist was being held.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman