vapour
Americannoun
noun
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particles of moisture or other substance suspended in air and visible as clouds, smoke, etc
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a gaseous substance at a temperature below its critical temperature Compare gas
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a substance that is in a gaseous state at a temperature below its boiling point
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rare something fanciful that lacks substance or permanence
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archaic a depressed mental condition believed originally to be the result of vaporous exhalations from the stomach
verb
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to evaporate or cause to evaporate; vaporize
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(intr) to make vain empty boasts; brag
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vapour
C14: from Latin vapor
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.
As the Sun heats the ground, the water vapour suddenly condenses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
It starts off as a cute little white cloud -- a cumulus cloud, which is formed because water vapour has turned into tiny droplets.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
As the air rises, it cools, and the water vapour condenses into a cloud.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Instead it turned into a series of unfortunate events - with crisis comms appearing to be hit by its own crisis - leaving behind a vapour trail of confusion.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
At first I thought she was still staring at the boat, but then I saw her gaze was on the vapour trail of a plane in the far distance, climbing slowly into the sky.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
