vacuum

American  

[vak-yoom, -yoo-uhm, -yuhm] / ˈvæk jum, -ju əm, -jəm /

noun

• vacuums,
  plural
• vacua
  plural

1. a space entirely devoid of matter.

2. an enclosed space from which matter, especially air, has been partially removed so that the matter or gas remaining in the space exerts less pressure than the atmosphere (opposed to plenum).

3. the state or degree of exhaustion in such an enclosed space.

4. a space not filled or occupied; emptiness; void.

   The loss left a vacuum in his heart.

5. a vacuum cleaner or sweeper.

6. Physics. a state of lowest energy in a quantum field theory.

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adjective

1. of, pertaining to, employing, or producing a vacuum.

2. (of a hollow container) partly exhausted of gas or air.

3. pertaining to a device or process that makes use of a vacuum to accomplish a desired task.

4. noting or pertaining to canning or packaging in which air is removed from the container to prevent deterioration of the contents.

verb (used with object)

• vacuums,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vacuumed,
  past participle,  past
• vacuuming
  present participle

1. to use a vacuum cleaner on; clean with a vacuum cleaner.

   to vacuum rugs.

2. to treat with any vacuum device, as a vacuum drier.

verb (used without object)

• vacuums,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vacuumed,
  past participle,  past
• vacuuming
  present participle

1. to use a vacuum cleaner.

   to vacuum in the dining room.

vacuum British  

/ ˈvækjʊəm /

noun

1. a region containing no matter; free space Compare plenum

2. a region in which gas is present at a low pressure

3. the degree of exhaustion of gas within an enclosed space

   a high vacuum

   a perfect vacuum

4. a sense or feeling of emptiness

   his death left a vacuum in her life

5. short for vacuum cleaner

6. (modifier) of, containing, measuring, producing, or operated by a low gas pressure

   a vacuum tube

   a vacuum brake

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verb

1. to clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner

   to vacuum a carpet

vacuum Scientific  

/ văk′yo̅o̅m /

• vacuums
  plural

1. A region of space in which there is no matter.

2. A region of space having extremely low gas pressure relative to surrounding pressure. The air pump of a vacuum cleaner, for example, drastically reduces the air pressure inside the device, creating a vacuum; the pressure difference causes air to rush into it, carrying dust and debris along with it.

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vacuum Cultural  

1. The absence of matter.

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Discover More

In the natural world, air will flow into regions of vacuum, giving rise to the saying “Nature abhors a vacuum.”

The saying is extended informally: in politics, a lack of leadership may be referred to as a vacuum, which will presumably be filled by others rushing in.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonvacuum
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vacua
  plural
• vacuums
  plural

Participles

• vacuuming
  present
• vacuumed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• vacuum
  simple
• vacuums
  simple
• have vacuumed
  perfect
• has vacuumed
  perfect
• am vacuuming
  progressive
• are vacuuming
  progressive
• is vacuuming
  progressive
• have been vacuuming
  perfect progressive
• has been vacuuming
  perfect progressive

Past

• vacuumed
  simple
• had vacuumed
  perfect
• was vacuuming
  progressive
• were vacuuming
  progressive
• had been vacuuming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will vacuum
  simple
• will have vacuumed
  perfect
• will be vacuuming
  progressive
• will have been vacuuming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of vacuum

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin, neuter of vacuus “empty”

Explanation

A vacuum is essentially a great lack of something — a place where virtually all matter, even air, has been removed. It can describe something that's literally empty — or something that just seems that way, like a political vacuum. You probably have a vacuum at home. A humble household appliance named after a principle of physics, the vacuum is a device for sucking up dirt off the ground. It works by creating a vacuum — that is, it sucks all the air out of a particular place so that the surrounding atmospheric pressure will flood in, taking with it all the nacho chips, dog hair, toast crumbs, and whatever else you have lying around your house.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vacuum vacua vacuums vacuumed vacuuming

In a vacuum, Bronson’s “Death Wish” vigilante was just as unlikeable.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

“Nature abhors a vacuum, and really, the only person who can speak for the committee is the chair,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In an earlier study, the researchers showed that they could directly manipulate vacuum fluctuations by using a magnetic field to reversibly switch the Casimir force between attraction and repulsion.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

As early as the 19th century, vintners began experimenting with dealcoholized wine using a process known as vacuum distillation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Perhaps the universe is just a quantum fluctuation on a grand scale—an enormous singular particle that came into existence out of the ultimate vacuum.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

In measuring really high vacua, it is well to begin with this process of lowering and raising the cylinder, and to repeat it five or six times before taking readings.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 303, October 22, 1881 by Various

The principal advantage of this construction was that it allowed of reaching extremely high vacua, and, at the same time of using a large bulb.

From The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting by Thomas Commerford Martin

Since then I have pushed the matter still farther, and have succeeded in obtaining with my apparatus vacua as high as 1/390,000,000 without finding that the limit of its action had been reached.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 303, October 22, 1881 by Various

With disruptive discharge coils there are sudden rises of potential and the vacua are more quickly impaired, for the electrodes are deteriorated in a very short time.

From The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting by Thomas Commerford Martin

In Paris he left the world all full of matter; here he finds absolute vacua.

From The Approach to Philosophy by Ralph Barton Perry

Looking out over the green sludge covered in cleaning equipment, speaking over the hum of the generators and the vacuums and the pumps, Hier smiled.

From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026

Superconducting circuits use metals cooled to near absolute zero; trapped ions are suspended in vacuums and manipulated by lasers.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

Kristi Noem was shown selling handheld vacuums on a home shopping network while Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth were hawking products on their own podcast.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Lithium-ion batteries have become exceedingly common amid a proliferation of chargeable electronics, including smartphones, laptops, headphones, e-cigarettes, vacuums and e-bikes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

Alma’s mother begins to whistle as she vacuums right beside where his face is resting, and then she turns off the vacuum with her foot.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Any gases the probe encountered were vacuumed in and collected, then sealed in a canister.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

For 45 minutes, a “Q-facial” machine sprayed, vacuumed, exfoliated and hydrated my face, delivering ultrasonic waves at two different depths.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

If it seems like many of the same series vacuumed up most of the nominations, this is partly why.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024

Hilton, who had been about to watch his six-year-old son play a baseball game when he received a call, sprayed and vacuumed the bees away.

From BBC ● May 1, 2024

I know she’s not in the kitchen or the living room or out at the pool and I just dusted fancy parlor number one and number two and vacuumed the bear.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Crews spent days vacuuming the pool bottom after dumping gallon jugs of hydrogen peroxide into the water to abate the blooms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Google, OpenAI, and other AI companies are vacuuming up corporate data from both large public companies and small enterprises.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

What they could’ve done instead: Opt for lighter colors that are more forgiving, or get used to sweeping or vacuuming your floors more often.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

Nor should it be all that surprising if some sectors happen to shed jobs—especially considering that one sector is vacuuming up so many workers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

I know from the quality of the light, from the sounds of the street outside my window, from the sound oi Cathy vacuuming the hallway right outside my room.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Related Words

• gap
• void