aerate

/ˈɛreɪt/
verb
  1. To add air or gas to something, especially a liquid or soil.
    • The gardener used a tool to aerate the lawn so the roots could get more oxygen.
    • The aquarium pump helps aerate the water for the fish.
    • You should aerate the wine before serving it to let it breathe.
  2. To expose something to the action of air, often to remove impurities or improve quality.
    • After the flood, they had to aerate the basement to reduce the musty smell.
    • The wastewater treatment plant aerates the water to break down harmful bacteria.
    • Farmers aerate the compost pile to speed up decomposition.
Antonyms
What does "aerate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean