Definition

1. Noun:

   • Water vapor: The hot gas or vapor produced when water boils. It is the gaseous state of water.
   • Power or energy: (Informal) Used to refer to energy, momentum, or driving force, often in the context of effort or progress.

2. Verb:

   • To cook with steam: To cook food by exposing it to steam from boiling water.
   • To emit steam: To give off steam or vapor, often as a result of being hot.
   • To move by steam power: To travel or be propelled, especially of a ship or vehicle, using steam as a source of power.
   • To become very angry: (Informal) To become extremely agitated or furious.
   • To clean with steam: To clean something using the heat and pressure of steam.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Steam rose from the hot cup of tea.
  • The old locomotive ran on steam.
  • After the break, the team got up steam for the final project phase.

• Verb:

  • She will steam the broccoli for a healthy side dish.
  • The kettle began to steam as the water boiled.
  • The historic ship can still steam along the coast.
  • He really steamed when he heard the news.
  • We need to steam the curtains to remove the wrinkles.

Advanced Usage

• "To get up steam": To gather energy, momentum, or enthusiasm to begin or continue an activity.

  • It took a while for the campaign to get up steam.

• "To let off steam": To release pent-up energy, stress, or strong feelings, often through vigorous activity or expression.

  • After the stressful meeting, he went for a run to let off steam.

• "To run out of steam": To lose energy, momentum, or enthusiasm; to become exhausted.

  • The project started well but ran out of steam by the end.

Variants and Related Words

• Steamy (adj): Full of or resembling steam; hot and humid. Also used informally to describe something sexually suggestive.

  • The steamy jungle air was oppressive.

• Steamer (n): A ship or vehicle powered by steam; a container used for steaming food.

  • We crossed the lake on an old steamer.

• Steam-powered (adj): Operated by the force of steam.

  • The factory used steam-powered machinery.

Synonyms

• Vapor (n): A substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical point.
• Cook (v): To prepare food by applying heat. (Specific method: ).
• Fume (v): To emit gas or vapor, often implying anger. (Similar to the informal angry sense of ).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Steam ahead: To proceed with great energy, speed, or determination.

  • Despite the challenges, the team decided to steam ahead with the plan.

• Steam up: To become covered with condensation; to fog up. Also used informally to mean to become angry or aroused.

  • The cold glass steamed up in the warm room.

Related Idioms

• Full steam ahead: Proceeding with maximum speed, energy, or effort.

  • The boss gave the order: full steam ahead on the new product launch.

• Under one's own steam: By one's own efforts or power, without assistance.

  • She recovered from the illness and got home under her own steam.

Noun

1. water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere

Verb

1. cook something by letting steam pass over it
   • just steam the vegetables
2. clean by means of steaming
   • steam-clean the upholstered sofa
3. get very angry
   • her indifference to his amorous advances really steamed the young man
4. rise as vapor
5. emit steam
   • The rain forest was literally steaming
6. travel by means of steam power
   • The ship steamed off into the Pacific