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aerial (adj.)

also aërial, c. 1600, "pertaining to the air," from Latin aerius "airy, aerial, lofty, high" (from Greek aerios "of the air, pertaining to air," from aēr "air;" see air (n.1)). With adjectival suffix -al (1). Also in English "consisting of air," hence, figuratively, "of a light and graceful beauty; insubstantial" (c. 1600). From 1915 as "by means of aircraft." From the Latin collateral form aereus comes the alternative English spelling aereal.

aerial (n.)

1902, short for aerial antenna, etc.

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Definitions of aerial from WordNet
1
aerial (n.)
a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer;
Synonyms: forward pass
aerial (n.)
an electrical device that sends or receives radio or television signals;
Synonyms: antenna / transmitting aerial
2
aerial (adj.)
existing or living or growing or operating in the air;
aerial photography
aerial warfare
aerial particles
aerial cable cars
small aerial creatures such as butterflies
aerial roots of a philodendron
aerial (adj.)
characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; "figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away"- Thomas Carlyle;
aerial fancies
Synonyms: aeriform / airy / aery / ethereal
From wordnet.princeton.edu