evaporation

[ ih-vap-uh-rey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for evaporation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act or process of evaporating.

  2. the state of being evaporated.

  1. Archaic. matter or the quantity of matter evaporated or passed off in vapor.

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Origin of evaporation

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English evaporacioun, from Latin ēvapōrātiōn- (stem of ēvapōrātiō ); see evaporate, -ion

Other words from evaporation

  • e·vap·o·ra·tive [ih-vap-uh-rey-tiv, -er-uh-tiv], /ɪˈvæp əˌreɪ tɪv, -ər ə tɪv/, adjective
  • e·vap·o·ra·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·e·vap·o·ra·tion, noun
  • non·e·vap·o·ra·tive, adjective
  • pre·e·vap·o·ra·tion, noun
  • un·e·vap·o·ra·tive, adjective

Words that may be confused with evaporation

Words Nearby evaporation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use evaporation in a sentence

Scientific definitions for evaporation

evaporation

[ ĭ-văp′ə-rāshən ]


  1. The change of a liquid into a vapor at a temperature below the boiling point. Evaporation takes place at the surface of a liquid, where molecules with the highest kinetic energy are able to escape. When this happens, the average kinetic energy of the liquid is lowered, and its temperature decreases.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for evaporation

evaporation

The changing of a liquid into a gas, often under the influence of heat (as in the boiling of water). (See vaporization.)

Notes for evaporation

The evaporation of water from the oceans is a major component in the hydrologic cycle.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.