aeolian

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /iˈoʊ.li.ən/ UK /iˈəʊ.li.ən/ See IPA manual

Freq #141324

Meanings

1

adj
relating to, produced by, or resembling the action or sound of the wind

Wind passing through the wires produced an aeolian hum.
2

adj
geology: transported, deposited, shaped, or eroded by wind

Aeolian sand formed long parallel dunes across the desert.
3

adj
music: relating to the Aeolian mode, the diatonic mode corresponding to the natural minor scale

The melody stays in the aeolian mode until its final cadence.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to, produced by,... wind-bornewind-producedeolian

2 adj · geology: transported,... windblownwind-depositedwind-eroded

3 adj · music: relating to the... natural-minorAeolian-mode

Word family

Derived forms aeolianitepalaeoaeolian

Related forms Aeolusaeolian harpAeolian modewind

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

aeolian harp
a stringed instrument played by air moving across its strings

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Aeolus, the Greek god and keeper of the winds, + -ian; this produced the wind and geological senses. Capitalized Aeolian also refers to ancient Aeolis and its people. The musical mode took its learned name from the Greek regional tradition, though the modern mode does not directly reproduce ancient Aeolian music.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# aeolian

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /iˈoʊ.li.ən/
**IPA (UK):** /iˈəʊ.li.ən/
**Frequency rank:** 141324

## Meanings
1. relating to, produced by, or resembling the action or sound of the wind
2. geology: transported, deposited, shaped, or eroded by wind
3. music: relating to the Aeolian mode, the diatonic mode corresponding to the natural minor scale

## Examples
- Wind passing through the wires produced an aeolian hum.
- Aeolian sand formed long parallel dunes across the desert.
- The melody stays in the aeolian mode until its final cadence.

## Synonyms
- eolian
- wind-borne
- windblown
- wind-produced
- natural-minor

## Derived Forms
- aeolianite
- palaeoaeolian

## Related Forms
- Aeolus
- aeolian harp
- Aeolian mode
- wind

## Etymology
From Aeolus, the Greek god and keeper of the winds, + -ian; this produced the wind and geological senses. Capitalized Aeolian also refers to ancient Aeolis and its people. The musical mode took its learned name from the Greek regional tradition, though the modern mode does not directly reproduce ancient Aeolian music.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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