Aerosol
/ˈɛə.rə.sɒl/noun
A suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas.
Did you know?Aerosol is a 20th-century scientific coinage built from Greek roots, not an ancient inherited word, and its name literally centers air as the medium that carries the suspended particles.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
aḗr
“air, mist, the lower atmosphere”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hḗlios
“sun”
Late 19th Century
English
aero-
“a combining form meaning air, atmosphere, or aviation”
1930s
English
aerosol
“a system or substance dispersed as fine particles in air”
Modern English
English
aerosol
“a suspension of tiny particles or droplets in a gas, especially air”