Of or pertaining to the air, or atmosphere; inhabiting or frequenting the air; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air; as, aërial regions or currents; the aërial maneuvers of a fighter plane. [1913 Webster]
Consisting of air; resembling, or partaking of the nature of air. Hence: Unsubstantial; unreal. [1913 Webster]
Rising aloft in air; high; lofty; as, aërial spires. [1913 Webster]
Growing, forming, living, or existing in the air, as opposed to growing or existing in earth or water, or underground; as, aërial rootlets, aërial plants; the aerial roots of a philodendron. Gray. [1913 Webster]
Light as air; ethereal. [1913 Webster]
operating or operated overhead especially on elevated cables. [WordNet 1.5]
operating or moving in the air. [WordNet 1.5]

Aerial acid, carbonic acid. [Obs.] Ure. -- Aerial perspective. See Perspective.

aerial, n.

a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer. [WordNet 1.5]
a metallic wire, rod, or combination of rods connected to an electronic device, designed to send or receive radio or television signals. [WordNet 1.5]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

aerial, n. & adj.
--n. a metal rod, wire, or other structure by which signals are transmitted or received as part of a radio transmission or receiving system.
--adj.
1 by or from or involving aircraft (aerial navigation; aerial photography).
2 a existing, moving, or happening in the air. b of or in the atmosphere, atmospheric.
3 a thin as air, ethereal. b immaterial, imaginary. c of air, gaseous.

Derivative

aeriality n. aerially adv.

Etymology

L aerius f. Gk aerios f. aer air

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THESAURUS

aerial

Olympian, aerials, aeriform, aerodynamic, aerophysical, aerospace, aerostatic, aerotechnical, aery, air-built, air-conscious, air-minded, air-wise, airish, airlike, airsick, airworthy, airy, alfresco, altitudinous, ascending, aspiring, atmospheric, aviational, breezy, chimeric, cloud-born, cloud-built, cloud-woven, colossal, directional antenna, dish, dominating, doublet, elevated, eminent, ethereal, exalted, exposed, fuming, fumy, gaseous, gasified, gasiform, gaslike, gassy, haughty, high, high-pitched, high-reaching, high-set, high-up, immaterial, impalpable, imperceptible, imponderable, incorporeal, light, lofty, mast, mephitic, miasmal, miasmatic, miasmic, monumental, mounting, open-air, outtopping, overlooking, overtopping, oxyacetylene, oxygenous, ozonic, phantasmal, pneumatic, prominent, reeking, reeky, reflector, rhombic antenna, roomy, skyscraping, smoking, smoky, soaring, spiring, steaming, steamy, steep, sublime, superlative, supernal, topless, toplofty, topping, tower, towering, towery, transmitting antenna, tropospheric, uplifted, upreared, vaporing, vaporish, vaporlike, vaporous, vapory, wave antenna

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ROGET THESAURUS

aerial

Height

N height, altitude, elevation, eminence, pitch, loftiness, sublimity, tallness, stature, procerity, prominence, colossus, giant, grenadier, giraffe, camelopard, mount, mountain, hill alto, butte, monticle, fell, knap, cape, headland, foreland, promontory, ridge, hog's back, dune, rising ground, vantage ground, down, moor, moorland, Alp, uplands, highlands, heights, knob, loma, pena, picacho, tump, knoll, hummock, hillock, barrow, mound, mole, steeps, bluff, cliff, craig, tor, peak, pike, clough, escarpment, edge, ledge, brae, dizzy height, tower, pillar, column, obelisk, monument, steeple, spire, minaret, campanile, turret, dome, cupola, skyscraper, pole, pikestaff, maypole, flagstaff, top mast, topgallant mast, ceiling, high water, high tide, flood tide, spring tide, altimetry, batophobia, satellite, spy-in-the-sky, high, elevated, eminent, exalted, lofty, tall, gigantic, Patagonian, towering, beetling, soaring, hanging (gardens), elevated, upper, highest, high reaching, insessorial, perching, upland, moorland, hilly, knobby, mountainous, alpine, subalpine, heaven kissing, cloudtopt, cloudcapt, cloudtouching, aerial, overhanging, incumbent, overlying, superincumbent, supernatant, superimposed, prominent, tall as a maypole, tall as a poplar, tall as a steeple, lanky, on high, high up, aloft, up, above, aloof, overhead, airwind, upstairs, abovestairs, in the clouds, on tiptoe, on stilts, on the shoulders of, over head and ears, breast high, over, upwards, from top to bottom, e meglio cader dalle finistre che dal tetto.

Navigation

N navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale.

Gaseity

N gaseity, vaporousness, flatulence, flatulency, volatility, aeration, aerification, elastic fluid, gas, air, vapor, ether, steam, essence, fume, reek, effluvium, flatus, cloud, ammonia, ammoniacal gas, volatile alkali, vacuum, partial vacuum, pneumatics, pneumatostatics, aerostatics, aerodynamics, gasmeter, gasometer, air bladder, swimming bladder, sound, (of a fish), gaseous, aeriform, ethereal, aerial, airy, vaporous, volatile, evaporable, flatulent.

Air

N air, common air, atmospheric air, atmosphere, aerosphere, open air, sky, welkin, blue sky, cloud, weather, climate, rise and fall of the barometer, isobar, aerology, aerometry, aeroscopy, aeroscopy, aerography, meteorology, climatology, pneumatics, eudioscope, baroscope, aeroscope, eudiometer, barometer, aerometer, aneroid, baroscope, weather gauge, weather glass, weather cock, exposure to the air, exposure to the weather, ventilation, aerostation, aeronautics, aeronaut, containing air, flatulent, effervescent, windy, atmospheric, airy, aerial, aeriform, meteorological, weatherwise, in the open air, a la belle etoile, al fresco, sub jove dio.

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