Dictionary

airling en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈɛə(ɹ)lɪŋ/

Etymology

From air + -ling.

Meanings

1. (archaic) A thoughtless, light-hearted person.
   • Thee must keep quiet and not speak to strangers, or they shalt think thee is an airling. 2015, Sylvia Abolis Mennear, Enchanted Castle on the River: Matt's Journey:
   • Some more there be, slight airlings, will be won With dogs and horses, or perhaps a whore. 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
   • 'Airling!' John remarked, after a glance at his brother's magnificence. 2011, Georgette Heyer, My Lord John, page 320:
2. (poetic) A creature of the air, such as a bird, fairy, etc.
   • This queen immortal loved the knight, And so she sent an airling brood To lead him thro ' the bosky wood Until he knew no left nor right; And as he paused upon a steep That rose from out a fountain place, They sprinkled dew-drops on his face, And so he fell asleep. 1855, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, The Bells: A Collection of Chimes, page 37:
   • In the pointed bill, the gradually enlarging head and neck, we behold a ready means of penetrating the yelding air, the fine turned and prow-like breast, flexible and idispensable rudder, tail, the balanced and buoyant wings, the feathery investment of body, all permeated with air-cells, the hollow bones also, and the air chambers and air sacks through the organization, all communicating with the air, in which the airling floats, giving lightness to the structure as well as strength and tenacity, by a wise arrangement of parts, all bearing relation not only to each other, but to the surrounding medium in which the creature is to fly, a part of it itself floating in its own element, in aeriel grandeur; how could these beautiful arrangements, with these nice adaptations, with such admirable relationships, be the work of chance? 1873, "Ornithon", “Ornithology: A Plea for the Birds”, in Transactions of the Illinois State Agricultural Society, page 180:
   • Airon, an airling, jumped high and spun quickly. 2015, Noreen Arangies, Keepers of Equilibria, page 1:

Forms

Synonyms

luftmensch · airhead