aerosol

noun

1
: a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas
Smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols.
airborne aerosol transmission of infective viral particles
also, aerosols plural : the fine particles of an aerosol
stratospheric aerosols
2
: a substance (such as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol
also : the container for this

Examples of aerosol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Casteel suspects that long before whole-body deodorant arrived on the market, many people were using existing products in unsafe ways; in rare cases, people have died from inadvertently inhaling the gases of aerosol deodorants. Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025 The cloud droplets form around natural and human-made aerosol particulates in the air according to microscopic physics that are not fully understood. Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 Though stratospheric aerosol injection over the poles could potentially cool the lower atmosphere atop the ice caps, the study notes that the aerosols could actually the overlying stratosphere—which could disrupt atmospheric circulation, warming Russia in the winter. Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025 The mural will be created using latex and aerosol paints on concrete and will be roughly 50 feet in length, reaching up to 20 feet in height on the main wall and 15 feet on each side of the creek slopes. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aerosol

Word History

Etymology

aero- + -sol (in hydrosol)

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerosol was in 1923

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aerosol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerosol. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

aerosol

noun
aero·​sol ˈar-ə-ˌsäl How to pronounce aerosol (audio) ˈer- How to pronounce aerosol (audio)
-ˌsȯl
: a mixture of fine solid or liquid particles and gas
smoke and fog are aerosols

Medical Definition

aerosol

noun
aero·​sol ˈar-ə-ˌsäl How to pronounce aerosol (audio) ˈer- How to pronounce aerosol (audio)
-ˌsȯl
1
: a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas
smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols
2
: a substance (as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol
also : the container for this

More from Merriam-Webster on aerosol

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