vaporize

American  

[vey-puh-rahyz] / ˈveɪ pəˌraɪz /

especially British, vaporise

verb (used with object)

vaporized, vaporizing

1. to cause to change into vapor.

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verb (used without object)

vaporized, vaporizing

1. to become converted into vapor.

2. to indulge in boastful talk; speak braggingly.

vaporize British  

/ ˈveɪpəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to change or cause to change into vapour or into the gaseous state

2. to evaporate or disappear or cause to evaporate or disappear, esp suddenly

3. to destroy or be destroyed by being turned into a gas as a result of extreme heat (for example, generated by a nuclear explosion)

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Other Word Forms

• revaporize verb
• unvaporized adjective
• vaporizable adjective
• vaporization noun

Etymology

Origin of vaporize

First recorded in 1625–35; vapor + -ize

Example Sentences

The medley of sounds and images that had woken him up vaporized the way dreams do, and his mind raced back through the rooms he’d slept in over the years until he remembered the McKays.

From Literature

Astronomers have identified powerful winds of vaporized metals inside a vast cloud that blocked the light of a distant star for almost nine months.

From Science Daily

Another, more speculative explanation suggests the iron could be part of a curved arc of plasma created when a rocky planet was vaporized during an earlier expansion of the star.

From Science Daily

In January 2002, Global Crossing filed for bankruptcy, vaporizing tens of billions in market value.

From The Wall Street Journal

The suit, filed last week in Arlington, Va. where Boeing is based, is the latest to allege that exposure to vaporized engine oils during a flight has led to long-term illness.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• annihilate
• atomize
• destroy
• exterminate
• kill