Airs

Airs is a term with several related but distinct senses in English. It can refer to the Earth's atmosphere, to a musical tune, or to the act of broadcasting something publicly. The plural form airs is sometimes used when speaking of multiple tunes or multiple broadcasts, though the context usually makes the intended sense clear.

In the sense of the atmosphere, air is the invisible mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. It enables respiration and combustion and drives weather and climate. Its major components are roughly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and other gases making up the remainder. Air properties such as temperature, pressure, and humidity influence weather patterns, flight, and environmental conditions. Air quality describes the presence of pollutants and its impact on health.

In music, an air is a simple melody or tune, often lyrical and vocal, that was especially common in the 17th and 18th centuries. The term is derived from French air and is related to the broader notion of a tune or song. Collections of airs typically present multiple tunes, sometimes in a stylized form for keyboard or ensemble performance. The term is related to the Italian aria, though in English usage an air and an aria have distinct historical meanings.

As a verb, air means to broadcast or publicly present something. The third-person singular present tense is airs, as in a program that airs on television or radio.

Etymology traces air to Old French air and Latin aer. See also aria, air quality, airs and graces.