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Glite Dictionary
aerogram

aerogram

1 9.1
A thin letter that folds into its own envelope for sending by air
  • noun
  • /ˈɛəroʊˌɡræm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : aerograma
  • He carefully folded the aerogram and placed it in the mail to ensure it would reach its destination quickly.
  • aerogram letter
  • blue aerogram

Examples

  • Sophie's latest aerogram had been moved from the table when Frank woke up one morning in March.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • A month after Anita's departure, a letter from her arrived—a blue aerogram, telling of the ashram, sweeping the courtyard, and the daily prayers.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • After Mexico, Clem got himself a job on a ship going to Europe, and Charlie got one of those thin aerograms with a red p155 and blue border.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The potential for gaining historical insight extends to the examination of the entire repertoire of postal materials: die proofs, covers, metering, cancellations, aerograms, promotional pamphlets, and so forth.

    Academic text (2005)

  • She received a aerogram from her friend who was studying abroad.

  • The old aerogram she found in the attic was still intact and beautifully written.

Synonyms

air letter
vsaerogram
  • Archaic
6.4

A lightweight sheet that folds into its own envelope to send by air mail

is the same format but often prepaid and can be sent without envelope
lettercard
vsaerogram
  • Archaic
8.0

A folded card that you write inside and seal before mailing

is made for air delivery and usually folds to serve as its own envelope

Surface Forms

aerogram singular
aerograms plural

Morphology

aerogram = aero + gram (semi-transparent) = aero + gram

Built from the combining forms 'aero-' (air) + '-gram' (written item); the literal components suggest 'air-letter', but these are bound combining forms and may not be fully familiar to all B1 learners.

Etymology

Aerogram comes from aero- meaning 'air' and -gram meaning 'a written message', like in telegram. So an aerogram is a very light letter made to travel by air, often folding into its own envelope.