/air"ee, ear"ee/ , n.
1. the nest of a bird of prey, as an eagle or a hawk.
2. a lofty nest of any large bird.
3. a house, fortress, or the like, located high on a hill or mountain.
4. Obs. the brood in a nest, esp. of a bird of prey.
Also, aery, eyrie, eyry .
[ 1575-85; airie, equiv. to aire ( ager field, presumably "nest" in VL; see ACRE) + ie -Y 3 ; cf. ML aerea, aeria aerie, brood aire ]