air mass

noun

: a body of air extending hundreds or thousands of miles horizontally and sometimes as high as the stratosphere and maintaining as it travels nearly uniform conditions of temperature and humidity at any given level

Examples of air mass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The arctic blast's effects are expected to taper off early in the week, but forecasters warned that colder air was still headed south, with an Arctic air mass spilling south out of Canada. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2024

Even if the cold Canadian air mass is delayed in its southward progression, the combination of drenching rain and strong winds could create hazardous conditions. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

Bomb cyclones can occur when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, which is how some significant winter storms can happen. —Nikki Nolan, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024

Overall, the cold air mass is bringing below-freezing temperatures as far south as the Florida panhandle, and more than 13 million people across nine states in the south are under freeze alerts. —Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

air mass

noun

: a body of air extending hundreds or thousands of miles sideways and sometimes as high as the stratosphere and having nearly the same conditions of temperature and humidity at any single level