WorldAugust 8, 2026

aerogram

AIR-uh-gram

Definition

A lightweight letter consisting of a single sheet of paper that, when folded and sealed, serves as its own envelope for international airmail.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'aero-' meaning 'air' and the suffix '-gram' meaning 'something written.' It was coined in the mid-20th century to describe the specialized paper forms developed for faster, cheaper international postal transmission.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe the method of communication used by Frimet and Arnold Roth during their long-distance courtship, as international phone calls were prohibitively expensive at the time.

Sbarro bombing 25 years later: Family fights for justice and extradition

Read the full article ↗

The Jerusalem Post

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.