AIRING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does airing mean? 

• AIRING (noun)
  The noun AIRING has 3 senses:

1. the opening of a subject to widespread discussion and debate

2. a short excursion (a walk or ride) in the open air

3. the act of supplying fresh air and getting rid of foul air

  Familiarity information: AIRING used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AIRING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The opening of a subject to widespread discussion and debate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

airing; dissemination; public exposure; spreading

Hypernyms ("airing" is a kind of...):

transmission (communication by means of transmitted signals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "airing"):

circulation (the dissemination of copies of periodicals (as newspapers or magazines))

extension; propagation (the spreading of something (a belief or practice) into new regions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A short excursion (a walk or ride) in the open air

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

he took the dogs for an airing

Hypernyms ("airing" is a kind of...):

excursion; expedition; jaunt; junket; outing; pleasure trip; sashay (a journey taken for pleasure)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of supplying fresh air and getting rid of foul air

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

airing; ventilation

Hypernyms ("airing" is a kind of...):

improvement (the act of improving something)

 Context examples 

Her once active limbs were so stiff and feeble that Jo took her for a daily airing about the house in her strong arms.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

An airing would do me a great deal of good, I am sure.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Catherine's complaisance was no longer what it had been in their former airing.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

An airing in the Hartfield carriage would have been the rack, and arrowroot from the Hartfield storeroom must have been poison.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

He could have turned a card upon which his fortune depended without the twitch of a muscle, and I had seen him myself driving to imminent death on the Godstone Road with as calm a face as if he were out for his daily airing in the Mall.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Three women were got to help; and such scrubbing, such brushing, such washing of paint and beating of carpets, such taking down and putting up of pictures, such polishing of mirrors and lustres, such lighting of fires in bedrooms, such airing of sheets and feather-beds on hearths, I never beheld, either before or since.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The old lady couldn't resist her longing to see her nephew, for she had met Laurie as she took her airing, and hearing of Mr. March's arrival, drove straight out to see him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

In spite of the answer, therefore, she ordered the carriage, and drove to Mrs. Bates's, in the hope that Jane would be induced to join her—but it would not do;—Miss Bates came to the carriage door, all gratitude, and agreeing with her most earnestly in thinking an airing might be of the greatest service—and every thing that message could do was tried—but all in vain.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Catherine found Mrs. Allen just returned from all the busy idleness of the morning, and was immediately greeted with, Well, my dear, here you are, a truth which she had no greater inclination than power to dispute; and I hope you have had a pleasant airing?

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

"Que pensez-vous?" she said, airing her French, which had improved in quantity, if not in quality, since she came abroad.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)