air mass

noun

1. a body of air covering a relatively wide area, exhibiting approximately uniform properties through any horizontal section.

air mass

noun

1. a large body of air having characteristics of temperature, moisture, and pressure that are approximately uniform horizontally

air mass

1. A widespread body of air that originates over a large area of land or ocean and assumes the temperature and humidity of that area, with characteristics distributed fairly evenly throughout the horizontal layers of the mass. Air that stands over the Caribbean Sea, for example, becomes a warm, humid maritime tropical air mass, while air that lies in the Arctic regions of northern Canada takes on the cold and dry characteristics of its surroundings and becomes a continental polar air mass. When air masses of differing properties come into contact in the middle latitudes, they frequently generate storm fronts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of air mass¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

They are being fueled by an unstable, humid air mass on westerly-southwesterly winds.

From Washington Post

Hot, dry weather to increase fire riskIn addition to the hot temperatures, the sultry air mass will spur additional wildfire growth and ignition across the West, where dozens of fires are already raging.

From Washington Post

The chilly air mass over Washington is overtaking much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States, from the northern Rockies to northern Florida.

From Washington Post

All models, in general, seem to have difficulty properly simulating the arrival of a “warm plume” above the colder air mass.

From Washington Post

We’ll have to see just how cold this air mass ends up being.

From Washington Post

And that leaves us with the hell freezing part: an arctic air mass is descending on the District for the weekend.

From The Daily Beast

Besides those who have pinned their faith to the thicknesses, there are those who take up with the "air mass" theory.

From Project Gutenberg

We were afforded a novel and striking scene before we left Zatrijebać in the form of an open-air Mass on Sunday.

From Project Gutenberg

At night an open-air mass-meeting was held in Memorial Hall Square, where ten thousand men assembled.

From Project Gutenberg

When there is a dominant continental air mass, it spills cold air onto the lowland areas.

From Project Gutenberg

Cyclone is simply the generic name for a large rotating air mass.

From Project Gutenberg