/ateˈrar/
The verb aterrar primarily means "to land" in terms of airplanes or vehicles descending from the air to the ground. It can also be used more generally to signify arriving or coming down to a place, often with the connotation of returning to a base or the ground.
In the Spanish language, aterrar is often used in both oral and written contexts, though its frequency can be higher in aviation-related discussions or narratives. It is a common term in Mexico, especially in contexts involving travel or transportation.
The plane is going to land in ten minutes.
Después de un largo viaje, finalmente vamos a aterrizar en casa.
Though aterrar is not frequently part of idiomatic expressions, it can sometimes appear in certain phrases related to arriving or grounding oneself in a situation. Here are a few examples:
Landing on time is crucial in any flight.
Necesitamos aterrizar nuestras ideas antes de presentarlas.
We need to ground our ideas before presenting them.
El proyecto finalmente aterrizó después de muchas reuniones.
The word aterrar comes from the Spanish prefix "a-" combined with the noun "tierra," which means "land" or "ground." Therefore, it directly relates to the action of bringing something down to land or ground.
Synonyms: - Desembarcar (to disembark) - Cerrar (to close, in the sense of coming to a conclusion)
Antonyms: - Despegar (to take off) - Volar (to fly)