steam

[ steem ]
See synonyms for steam on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. water in the form of an invisible gas or vapor.

  2. water changed to this form by boiling, extensively used for the generation of mechanical power, for heating purposes, etc.

  1. the mist formed when the gas or vapor from boiling water condenses in the air.

  2. an exhalation of a vapor or mist.

  3. Informal. power or energy.

verb (used without object)
  1. to emit or give off steam or vapor.

  2. to rise or pass off in the form of steam or vapor.

  1. to become covered with condensed steam, as a window or other surface (often followed by up).

  2. to generate or produce steam, as in a boiler.

  3. to move or travel by the agency of steam.

  4. to move rapidly or evenly: He steamed out of the room.

  5. Informal. to be angry or show anger: Fans are still steaming from Monday night’s sloppy 5-4 loss.

verb (used with object)
  1. to expose to or treat with steam, as in order to heat, cook, soften, renovate, or the like.

  2. to emit or exhale (steam or vapor).

  1. Informal. to cause to become irked or angry (often followed by up).

  2. to convey by the agency of steam: to steam the ship safely into port.

adjective
  1. heated by or heating with steam: a steam radiator.

  2. propelled by or propelling with a steam engine.

  1. operated by steam.

  2. conducting steam: a steam line.

  3. bathed with or affected by steam.

  4. of or relating to steam.

Idioms about steam

  1. blow / let off steam, Informal. to give vent to one's repressed emotions, especially by talking or behaving in an unrestrained manner: Don't take her remarks too seriously—she was just blowing off steam.

Origin of steam

1
before 1000; Middle English steme,Old English stēam; cognate with Dutch stoom

Other words from steam

  • steamless, adjective
  • outsteam, verb (used with object)
  • pre·steam, adjective, verb (used with object)
  • un·steamed, adjective
  • un·steam·ing, adjective

Words Nearby steam

Other definitions for STEAM (2 of 2)

STEAM
[ steem ]

noun
  1. science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, considered as a group of academic or career fields (often used attributively): Engaging students in STEAM subjects helps them become adept at solving all kinds of problems they might encounter, regardless of their chosen careers.

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

How to use steam in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for steam

steam

/ (stiːm) /


noun
  1. the gas or vapour into which water is changed when boiled

  2. the mist formed when such gas or vapour condenses in the atmosphere

  1. any vaporous exhalation

  2. informal power, energy, or speed

  3. get up steam

    • (of a ship, etc) to work up a sufficient head of steam in a boiler to drive an engine

    • informal to go quickly

  4. let off steam informal to release pent-up energy or emotions

  5. under one's own steam without the assistance of others

  6. Australian slang cheap wine

  7. (modifier) driven, operated, heated, powered, etc, by steam: a steam radiator

  8. (modifier) treated by steam: steam ironed; steam cleaning

  9. (modifier) jocular old-fashioned; outmoded: steam radio

verb
  1. to emit or be emitted as steam

  2. (intr) to generate steam, as a boiler, etc

  1. (intr) to move or travel by steam power, as a ship, etc

  2. (intr) informal to proceed quickly and sometimes forcefully

  3. to cook or be cooked in steam

  4. (tr) to treat with steam or apply steam to, as in cleaning, pressing clothes, etc

Origin of steam

1
Old English; related to Dutch stoom steam, perhaps to Old High German stioban to raise dust, Gothic stubjus dust

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

Scientific definitions for steam

steam

[ stēm ]


  1. Water in its gaseous state, especially at a temperature above the boiling point of water (above 100°C, or 212°F, at sea level). See Note at vapor.

  2. A mist of condensed water vapor.

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with steam

steam

see blow off steam; full speed (steam) ahead; get up steam; run out of steam; under one's own steam.

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