āēr, āeris, m. (in Enn. once fem., Gell. 13, 20, 14, as also ἀήρ in Gr., in the earliest per, was fem., Gr. gen. aeros, Stat. Th. 2, 693; Gr. acc. aera, Cic., Sen., Plin.; pure Lat. form, āerem, Varr. L. L. 5, 10, 65; Cato ap. Serv ad Verg. A. 10, 184; Plin. 18, 1, 1, § 3; plur nom. and acc. āeres, Vitr. 11; later āera, Ven. Fort. Carm 9, 1, 141, dat. āeribus, Lucr. 4, 289; 5, 643), = ἀηρ, the air, properly the lower atmosphere (in distinction from aether, the upper pure air): istic est is Juppiter quem dico, quem Graeci vocant Aerem, qui ventus est et nubes, imber postea, Atque ex imbre frigus, ventus post fit, aer denuo, Enn. ap. Varr L. L. 5, § 65 Mull. (Epicharm. v. 9 Vahl.,: terra circumfusa undique est hac animall spirabilique naturā, cui nomen est aer, Graecum illud quidem, sed perceptum jam tamen usu a nostris, tritum est enim pro Latino, Cic. N. D. 2, 36, 91: itaque aer et ignis et aqua et terra primae sunt, id. Ac. 1, 7, 26: Anaximenes aera Deum statuit, id. N. D. 1, 10: aerem in perniciem vertere, Plin. 18, 1, 1, § 3 al.

—Also in plur.: aeribus binis, Lucr 4, 291: aeres locorum salubres aut pestilentes, Vitr 1, 1 fin.

— Transf. Poet.: aer summus arboris, the airy summit, for the highest point, Verg. G. 2, 123; cf. Juv. 6, 99.

— Also poet. for a cloud, vapor, mist: Venus obscuro gradientes aere sepsit, Verg. A. 1, 411: aere septus, Val Fl. 5,401

— With limiting adj. = the weather: crassus, Cic. Ac. 2, 25, 81. fusus et extenuatus, id. N. D. 2, 39 purus et tenuis, id. ib. 2, 16 temperatus, id. Div 2, 42 † aera (dissyl.), ae, f., = αἰρα, a weed among grain; darnel, tare, or cockle, Lolium temulentum, Linn.; Plin. 18, 17, 44, § 156.