current of air
- noun
- A gentle current of air blew through the open window, cooling the room on a hot day.
- a gentle current of air
Examples
-
There was a slight breeze blowing, a wispy, barely perceptible current of air that animated the blue-lit grass stalks and whispered sibilantly.
Fiction book (1991) -
The little girl watched him with wide eyes, the feathers in her hair moving minutely in a stray current of air.
Fiction book (1997) -
Bands of red and yellow, blue and green seemed to hang not far off from our ridge, moving in some gentle, higher current of air.
Fiction book (1990) -
I felt the currents of air through the hallways, the way night came to every corner.
Fiction book (1997) -
Sixty-five miles above the Earth, a ghostly swirl of chemicals reveals a mysterious current of air.
Blog text (32) -
He saw eagles and hawks, the lazy carouse of turkey buzzards floating in circles on invisible currents of air.
Fiction book (1994) -
Then Mai was walking on a beach—a warm breeze from the South China Sea moved under her silk ao dai, her charcoal hair lifting in a current of air.
Fiction book (1999) -
Butterflies floated on currents of air so light they were imperceptible—a phenomenon we knew existed from the evidence of the butterflies, but which was inaccessible to our senses.
Fiction book (1991) -
The current of air from the fan helped to dry my hair quickly after the shower.
-
As the bird soared high above, it rode the current of air effortlessly, gliding with grace.
Synonyms
Moving air that blows outside and can be strong
To move steadily in a stream like a liquid or gas
A steady flow of water, air, or ideas
A small flow of cold air that moves through a room or fireplace
The movement of air through or around things
A movement of air from one place to another
Air moving through a place or system
Movement of air through a space or system
A steady current of air that moves across a region
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a flow of air' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'current' (continuous movement) with 'air' (the atmosphere/gases), with 'of' simply marking the relationship. This compositional noun phrase follows a common cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Current of air comes from thinking of air like moving water, because the word current means a steady 'flow' and air is the gas around us. So a current of air is a steady movement of air in one direction, sometimes strong, which is why we use it for a gentle breeze or a strong gust.