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View synonyms for evaporate

evaporate

[ ih-vap-uh-reyt ]

verb (used without object)

, e·vap·o·rat·ed, e·vap·o·rat·ing.
  1. to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor; pass off in vapor.

    Synonyms: vaporize

  2. to give off moisture.
  3. His hopes evaporated.

    Synonyms: evanesce



verb (used with object)

, e·vap·o·rat·ed, e·vap·o·rat·ing.
  1. to convert into a gaseous state or vapor; drive off or extract in the form of vapor:

    The warm sun evaporated the dew.

  2. to extract moisture or liquid from, as by heat, so as to make dry or to reduce to a denser state:

    to evaporate fruit.

  3. to cause to disappear or fade; dissipate:

    His involvement in the scandal evaporated any hope he had for a political career.

evaporate

/ ɪˈvæpəˌreɪt /

verb

  1. to change or cause to change from a liquid or solid state to a vapour Compare boil 1
  2. to lose or cause to lose liquid by vaporization, leaving a more concentrated residue
  3. to disappear or cause to disappear; fade away or cause to fade away

    all her doubts evaporated

  4. tr to deposit (a film, metal, etc) by vaporization of a liquid or solid and the subsequent condensation of its vapour
“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
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Derived Forms

  • eˌvaporaˈbility, noun
  • eˈvapoˌrator, noun
  • eˌvapoˈration, noun
  • eˈvaporable, adjective
  • eˈvaporative, adjective
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Other Words From

  • half-e·vapo·rated adjective
  • half-e·vapo·rating adjective
  • none·vapo·rating adjective
  • pree·vapo·rate verb preevaporated preevaporating
  • une·vapo·rated adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of evaporate1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English evaporaten, from Latin ēvapōrātus (past participle of ēvapōrāre “to disperse in vapor”); e- 1, vapor, -ate 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of evaporate1

C16: from Late Latin ēvapōrāre, from Latin vapor steam; see vapour
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Synonym Study

Evaporate, dehydrate, dry mean to abstract moisture from. To evaporate is to remove moisture by means of heat, forced ventilation, or the like, and thus to produce condensation or shriveling: to evaporate milk, sliced apples. To dehydrate is to remove moisture from a vegetable, fruit, or body tissue: to dehydrate fruit; dehydrated from running. To dry may mean to wipe moisture off the surface or to withdraw moisture by natural means, such as exposure to air or heat: to dry a dish, clothes.
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Example Sentences

Organic solar cells are produced in a physical mixture which is then placed on a substrate and the solvent in the mixture evaporates.

Whatever camaraderie the musicians may have discovered could evaporate with a phone call home.

Meanwhile, the liquid part of the solution begins to evaporate, which serves to pack the complex structures closer and closer together into an array.

Companies pump salty, lithium-containing brines from underground aquifers into vast, shallow pools and wait for the Sun to evaporate most of the water, concentrating the lithium ions.

And the joy of having more take-home pay now would evaporate when the bills start coming due.

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More About Evaporate

What does evaporate mean?

Evaporate means to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor (like fog, mist, or steam).

It can be used in a passive way, as in The water evaporated overnight, or an active way, as in The sun evaporates the water on the surface. 

The process of evaporating is called evaporation. Both terms are typically used in the context of water turning into water vapor. Water evaporates when it changes into steam through boiling, but in scientific terms, evaporation typically refers to the change of a liquid into a vapor at a temperature below the boiling point, such as when water evaporates from the surface of the ocean. In this way, evaporation is an important part of the water cycle.

Evaporate can also be used in a figurative way meaning to disappear, as in The family’s wealth has evaporated, and now they have nothing. 

Example: The dew on the grass evaporates more quickly in the sunny parts of the yard.

Where does evaporate come from?

The first records of the word evaporate come from the 1300s. It derives from the Latin verb ēvapōrāre, meaning “to disperse in vapor.” The word vapor is at the heart of evaporate and comes from the Latin word meaning “steam.”

When you leave out a glass of water and it eventually dries up, it doesn’t just disappear—it evaporates (which, yes, is a bit like disappearing into thin air). Scientifically speaking, evaporation takes place at the surface of a liquid, where the molecules with the highest kinetic energy (the ones with the highest temperature) are able to escape—often by floating off into the atmosphere. This means that liquid often evaporates as a result of added heat, such as from a burner on the stove or the sun.

Evaporation is one step in the water cycle, in which water, such as on the surface of oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water, turns into water vapor. The cycle continues as the vapor condenses to form clouds and is then released through precipitation, such as rain and snow.

Evaporation is usually discussed in the context of liquids, but it can happen to solids, too. If you leave ice cubes in your freezer, they’ll eventually evaporate.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to evaporate?

What are some synonyms for evaporate?

What are some words that share a root or word element with evaporate

What are some words that often get used in discussing evaporate?

 

 

How is evaporate used in real life?

Evaporate is commonly used in the context of the water cycle, but it can also be used figuratively.

 

 

Try using evaporate!

Is evaporate used correctly in the following sentence? 

The recession has caused jobs to evaporate in several industries.

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