air current
4
3.3
- noun
- /ɛr ˈkɜr ənt/
- The feathers swirled in eddies, flying on the air currents, sticking to whatever they landed on.
- air currents carry
Examples
-
Birds can use air currents to glide effortlessly for long distances without flapping their wings.
-
Below them, a hawk rode the air currents, following the contours of the mountain.
Fiction book (1996) -
But if you have these air currents, the balloon will rise.
-
The particles join the air currents which carry them all over the surface of the planet.
-
The crow rides the lazy night air currents in circles over the castle.
Fiction book (1999) -
The dust was transported to the Alaskan Arctic by an unusual configuration of air currents.
Academic text (1992) -
Every so often, the snow would twirl into eddies and dance in response to subtle air currents I could scarcely feel.
Fiction book (1997) -
Golanth was making good time, catching the thermals and air currents to increase his speed, but it was a weary way to go.
Fiction book (1991) -
Wind information is vital because upper air currents provide a natural shuttle system for the migrating pests, Westbrook says.
Academic text (1994) -
Gnats drifted beneath the canopy, spun willy-nilly with the air currents, and from beneath the tree's umbrella, Joe watched the house.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Moving air that blows outside and can be strong
166
3.2
A steady flow of water, air, or ideas
13
3.5
The movement of air through or around things
1
2.8
Movement of air through a space or system
1
2.6
Air moving through a place or system
1
3.5
A flow of air moving through a space, often as a breeze or strong gust
1
4.2
A steady current of air that moves across a region
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a flow of air' is directly and compositionally derived from 'air' (gases/breeze) + 'current' (continuous movement), with no idiomatic shift. This is a literal, cross-linguistically common noun–noun combination, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Air current comes from a simple image: people thought of air as a moving river, and the word current, used for 'flowing water', was also used for air. So an air current is like an invisible river that can carry leaves or a bird, which is why it means 'a flow of air'.