Standard Lemma guide

airflow

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: EH1 R F L OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any flow of air, especially the motion of air around a moving aircraft or aerofoil.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the flow of air

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she adjusted the fan so that the airflow was directed right at her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: air flow, flow of air

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flow, flowing

History

Etymology

From air + flow.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: luftstrøm — any flow of air
  • Finnish: ilmavirta — any flow of air
  • Finnish: ilmavirtaus — any flow of air
  • Hungarian: légáram — any flow of air
  • Hungarian: légáramlat — any flow of air
  • Hungarian: légáramlás — any flow of air
  • Italian: corrente — any flow of air
  • Italian: corrente d'aria — any flow of air
  • Italian: flusso d'aria — any flow of air
  • Japanese: 気流 (kiryū) — any flow of air
  • Norwegian Bokmål: luftstrøm — any flow of air
  • Polish: strumień powietrza — any flow of air
Real reading context

airflow in complete knowledge articles