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Synonyms

steamer

American  
[stee-mer] / ˈsti mər /

noun

  1. something propelled or operated by steam, as a steamship.

  2. a person or thing that steams.

  3. a device, pot, or container in which something is steamed.

  4. soft-shell clam.

verb (used without object)

  1. to travel by steamship.

steamer British  
/ ˈstiːmə /

noun

  1. a boat or ship driven by steam engines

  2. Also called: steam box.  an apparatus for steaming wooden beams and planks to make them pliable for shipbuilding

  3. a vessel used to cook food by steam

  4. slang a clash of sporting teams characterized by rough play

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of steamer

First recorded in 1805–15; steam + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

According to Woodward, the otter now frequenting Steamer Lane has been actively pursuing surfers nearly every day since Oct.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

Topsail Steamer Shark Bite Steamer Pot Topsail Steamer’s unique seafood buckets make for a memorable gift.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2024

A Southern sea otter, nicknamed Otter 841, has been hassling surfers at Santa Cruz, California's Steamer Lane all summer.

From DOGO News • Aug. 25, 2023

Young John Mel, the phenom son of legendary surf titan Peter Mel, was captured by a Santa Cruz Instagrammer with his leap from the Steamer Lane rocks into a maelstrom.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2023

Steamer crossings to Europe were resumed, after being suspended during four years of war, and new routes, this time to North America, became the rage.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.