Air Conditioner Definition, Types & Usage

Meaning 1：air conditioner (Air Conditioner)

Air Conditioner 🔊

/ˈɛr kənˈdɪʃənər/

A machine that makes the air inside a room cooler and drier, or sometimes warmer.

air conditioner 🔊

➕

/ˈɛr kənˈdɪʃənər/

A machine that cools and dehumidifies the air in a room or building, often also capable of heating.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'air' (Greek 'aer') and 'conditioner' (Latin 'conditio' meaning arrangement).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine the air being 'conditioned' like a perfect spa treatment for your room.

📖 Example

It's too hot to study, so I turned on the air conditioner and felt much better. 🔊 It's too hot to study, so I turned on the air conditioner and felt much better.

🔗 Collocations

turn on the air conditioner – to activate the air conditioning system

air conditioner remote control – a handheld device to operate the air conditioner

central air conditioner – a system that cools multiple rooms from a central unit

🔄 Synonyms

AC (n.) – abbreviation for air conditioner

cooling system (n.) – a system that provides cooling

climate control (n.) – a system that regulates temperature and humidity

🚫 Antonyms

heater (n.) – a device that heats air

furnace (n.) – a heating appliance that warms air

radiator (n.) – a device that emits heat to warm a room

🌱 Derivatives

air conditioning (n.) – the system or process of cooling and dehumidifying air

air-conditioned (adj.) – equipped with an air conditioner

air-condition (v.) – to equip or treat with an air conditioner

📖 Cultural Story

Invented by Willis Carrier in 1902 for humidity control, 'air conditioner' became a common term in the 20th century.