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the branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of air and other gases and with the effects of such motion on bodies in the medium.
Compare (def 1).
Contemporary Examples

Carlos hit the ball so hard that gravity never had a chance to damp down the aerodynamic motion.
How To Bend It Like Beckham: A Scientist Explains John D. Barrow August 8, 2012

They offer no suggestions of aerodynamic speed or a masterful sense of balance and coordination.
What Obama’s Golf Fashion Reveals Robin Givhan June 19, 2011

It is adopting technology—in rocket propulsion, composite construction, and aerodynamic refinements—already in use elsewhere.
Can Anyone Make Space Safe for Civilians? Clive Irving November 3, 2014

So in the California GOP you have an aerodynamic nightmare, a three-winged bird.
Bet on California’s GOP Amazons Tunku Varadarajan June 6, 2010

Historical Examples

The range obtained became mostly a matter of aerodynamic design and weight carried.
The Wright Brothers’ Engines and Their Design Leonard S. Hobbs.

noun
(functioning as sing) the study of the dynamics of gases, esp of the forces acting on a body passing through air Compare aerostatics (sense 1)
adj.

also aero-dynamic, 1847; see aero- + dynamic (adj.). Cf. German aerodynamische (1835), French aérodynamique.
n.

1837, from aero- “air” + dynamics.
aerodynamic
(âr’ō-dī-nām’ĭk)

Designed to reduce or minimize the drag caused by air as an object moves though it or by wind that strikes and flows around an object. The wings and bodies of airplanes have an aerodynamic shape.
aerodynamics
(âr’ō-dī-nām’ĭks)
The study of the movement of air and other gases. Aerodynamics includes the study of the interactions of air with moving objects, such as airplanes, and of the effects of moving air on stationary objects, such as buildings.

Our Living Language : The two primary forces in aerodynamics are lift and drag. Lift refers to (usually upward) forces perpendicular to the direction of motion of an object traveling through the air. For example, airplane wings are designed so that their movement through the air creates an area of low pressure above the wing and an area of high pressure beneath it; the pressure difference produces the lift needed for flight. This effect is typical of airfoil design. Drag forces are parallel and opposite to the object’s direction of motion and are caused largely by friction. Large wings can create a significant amount of lift, but they do so with the expense of generating a great deal of drag. Spoilers that are extended on airplane wings upon the vehicle’s landing exploit this tradeoff by making the wings capable of high lift even at low speeds; low landing speeds then still provide enough lift for a gentle touchdown. Aeronautical engineers need to take into account such factors as the speed and altitude at which their designs will fly (lower air pressures at high altitudes reduce both lift and drag) in order to optimally balance lift and drag in varying conditions.

The branch of science devoted to the study of the flow of gases around solid objects. It is especially important in the design of cars and airplanes, which move through the air.

Note: A vehicle that has been built to minimize friction with the air is said to be aerodynamically designed.