evaporation

American  

[ih-vap-uh-rey-shuhn] / ɪˌvæp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of evaporating.

2. the state of being evaporated.

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

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evaporation Scientific  

/ ĭ-văp′ə-rā′shən /

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.

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evaporation Cultural  

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

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Usage

What does evaporation mean? Evaporation is the process of changing from a liquid or solid state into vapor (like fog, mist, or steam). Evaporation is a noun form of the verb evaporate. 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 the evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. In this way, evaporation is an important part of the water cycle. The verb evaporate can also be used in a figurative way meaning to disappear, and evaporation can be used in this figurative way as well. Example: The evaporation of the dew from the grass each morning happens more quickly in the sunny parts of the yard.

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

• evaporative
  adjective
• evaporatively
  adverb
• nonevaporation
  noun
• nonevaporative
  adjective
• preevaporation
  noun
• unevaporative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of evaporation

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

Compare meaning

How does evaporation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• transpiration vs. evaporation

Explanation

Evaporation takes place when liquid turns into gas. Ever noticed how water disappears from a glass if you leave it sitting on your counter? That's not thirsty gnomes living in your kitchen: it’s evaporation. Evaporation comes from the Latin evaporare, which means “disperse in vapor or steam.” Depending on the humidity level of the air around it, any liquid will release some of its molecules into the atmosphere around it. That’s evaporation. With time, the liquid can fully evaporate. That's why evaporation can apply to anything that disappears, like the evaporation of your money that leaves you with nothing but an empty wallet.

Example Sentences

Evaporation establishes a continuous flow within nanochannels inside these devices, which act as passive pumping mechanisms.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024

Evaporation at the Kakhovka Reservoir would have mitigated local warming, she says.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 3, 2024

Evaporation rates and high pressure zones might not sound like a recipe for a good time, but the makers of one popular racing game would probably disagree.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2023

Evaporation should have been incorporated into the allocations from the beginning, said Kathy Jacobs, director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2023

Evaporation is almost always proceeding over seas and oceans, and from foam thrown up and swept along by the winds the dissolved salts are liberated as solid particles.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various

Related Words

• dispersal
• melting