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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.

He left behind a massive steamer trunk full of manuscripts, many of which were attributed to artists not named Fernando Pessoa.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

"William was on the sprouts, getting his sprouts ready so they could go into the steamer, and Prince George was helping with the Yorkshire puddings," said Mr Clarke.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

And when I was cooking an egg dish from an Instagram video recipe, the “Live” voice mode showed me how to make it without a steamer basket, no typing necessary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Among the pieces that she had teased on social media were a sewing machine, a steamer, lamps, a “tiny side table,” a sequin romper, and a Bergdorf Goodman jacket.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

She was taken halfway up the Hudson in an excursion steamer fitted out in the archaism of the mad Twenties.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

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.