The lineage of a word is called its etymology. It is <span>the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.</span>
<span>"an enormous ornamental bat", because this is a humorous mental image, and
"as the atmospheric conditions demanded", because this is saying that the atmosphere and weather could make it necessary for someone to look a certain way (that's what is meant by putting on airs) rather than to actually stay dry or warm.</span>
Well definitions can help a lot. I’m not completely sure though