aerosolize

verb

aero·​sol·​ize ˈer-ə-ˌsä-ˌlīz 

-ˌsȯ-,

-sə-

aerosolized; aerosolizing; aerosolizes

transitive verb

: to disperse (something) as an aerosol : to convert or form into an aerosol

… high-energy laser pulses vaporize or aerosolize thin layers from the surface of a bulk sample …

—Nancy H. McGuire

… a battery-powered device that aerosolizes nicotine for inhalation but does not burn tobacco.

—Nancy A. Rigotti

Spraying cleaning products into a shower stall and then turning on hot water aerosolizes all those chemicals into everything from bathroom walls to fabric.

—Kathryn Matthews

aerosolized adjective

aerosolized medications

Infection in humans occurs after inhalation of aerosolized virus or direct contact with infected rodents or their excreta.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Examples of aerosolize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rangan said that there aren’t data yet on whether pathogens in the Tijuana River can be aerosolized and affect residents but that the state health department is working with doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do more research. —Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024

Smoke fumigation is not common practice in the United States, but is used frequently in China in place of pressure sprayers to aerosolize chemical treatments. —Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024

Because of the heavy viral load in milk and mammary glands, scientists suspect the virus is being spread to animals during the milking process, either through contact with infected equipment or with virus that becomes aerosolized during cleaning procedures. —Julie Steenhuysen, Detroit Free Press, 23 May 2024

So there are things that grow deep in the soil or grow in the insides of plants and not things that would generally be aerosolized just by wind. More on Microbes How Microbes Help Clean Our Environment PM: How do these microbes get swept up in wildland fire smoke? —Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

aerosol + -ize

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

aerosolize

transitive verb

aero·​sol·​ize ˈar-ə-ˌsäl-ˌīz, ˈer-, -ˌsȯl- 

aerosolized; aerosolizing

: to disperse (as a medicine, bactericide, or insecticide) as an aerosol

aerosolized pentamidine, which is sprayed directly into the lungs

—C. C. Mann

aerosolizer noun