# steam

Pronunciation: say "STEEM" /stiːm/

## Noun

1. The hot gaseous form of water, produced when water boils and changes from a liquid into a gas.
   - Simple: The hot gas that water turns into when it boils.
   - _Steam billowed from the kettle as the water reached a rolling boil._
   - _The bathroom filled with steam after her long, hot shower._
2. Water vapor held under pressure and used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.
   - Simple: Hot water vapor under pressure, used to heat, cook, or power machines.
   - _The factory's turbines were driven by high-pressure steam._
   - _Steam hissed through the pipes, warming each room in the house._
3. Anger that has been held back and built up inside, ready to be released.
   - Simple: Strong angry feelings that build up inside and need to come out.
   - _Years of being ignored had built up a head of steam in him._
   - _He vented his steam on the punching bag instead of his coworkers._
5. The inner energy or driving force that keeps something moving forward or making progress.
   - Simple: The energy or drive that keeps you going and making progress.
   - _The campaign gathered steam as more volunteers joined._
   - _He finished the marathon under his own steam, refusing all help._
7. The process of cooking food by exposing it to steam.
   - Simple: Cooking food by using hot steam rather than boiling it.
   - _A brief steam keeps the greens crisp and bright._
   - _The recipe calls for a ten-minute steam over high heat._
13. The cloud of tiny water droplets that hangs in the air when water vapor meets colder air and condenses.
   - Simple: The cloud of tiny water drops that forms when warm, wet air meets colder air.
   - _Steam curled up from the bowl of noodles as she set it on the table._
   - _On frosty mornings, steam drifts off the hot spring where the warm water meets the icy air._
14. Breath made visible as a cloud when exhaled into air below the dew point of the breath.
   - Simple: The little cloud you breathe out when the air is very cold.
   - _Her steam hung in the air for a moment before fading in the cold._
   - _Steam rose from the players' mouths during the frozen kickoff._
16. Travel accomplished by riding a steam-powered vehicle.
   - Simple: The act of going somewhere on a steam-powered train or ship.
   - _Before air travel, steam was how most people made long journeys._
   - _The shift from steam to diesel changed how quickly goods reached market._

## Verb

4. To grow angry and seethe, fuming inwardly at something.
   - Simple: To get very angry, often without showing it right away.
   - _Drivers steam when they're stuck in traffic for hours._
   - _He steamed at the insult but said nothing._
6. To cook food by exposing it to steam rather than boiling or frying it.
   - Simple: To cook food using hot steam instead of boiling water.
   - _Steam the dumplings until the wrappers turn translucent._
   - _Many cooks steam broccoli to keep its bright green color._
8. To rise or escape upward as vapor from a warm or wet surface.
   - Simple: To rise up as a hot, misty cloud from something warm or wet.
   - _The wet rooftops steam in the early morning sun._
   - _Fresh manure steamed in the frosty paddock._
9. To produce or vent steam, as a machine or kettle does.
   - Simple: To give off or let out steam.
   - _The engines steam loudly as they build up pressure._
   - _The radiator steamed all through the cold night._
10. To move forward with great or excessive determination.
   - Simple: To move along quickly and with strong purpose.
   - _She steamed past the slower walkers without a word._
   - _Reporters steam toward any hint of scandal._
11. To cover a surface with condensed water vapor.
   - Simple: To cover a surface with a thin film of misty water.
   - _The boiling pot steamed the kitchen windows in minutes._
   - _Long baths steam every mirror in the room._
12. To expose something to steam in order to soften, shape, or prepare it.
   - Simple: To treat something with hot steam to soften or shape it.
   - _Boatbuilders steam the oak planks before curving them around the hull._
   - _She steamed the velvet gently to lift the crushed pile._
15. To travel using steam power, as a steamship or locomotive does.
   - Simple: To move or travel using the power of steam.
   - _The fleet steamed north through the night toward the harbor._
   - _Cargo vessels steam between ports on tight schedules._
17. To cause someone to feel angry or resentful.
   - Simple: To make someone angry or annoyed.
   - _His constant excuses steam me more than the missed deadline itself._
   - _Nothing steams a coach faster than a careless turnover late in the game._
18. To raise steam, as in firing up a steam locomotive's boiler.
   - Simple: To build up steam inside an engine to make it run.
   - _The fireman steamed the boiler steadily as the train neared the grade._
   - _Crews steam their engines well before departure to build full pressure._
19. To be cooked by exposure to steam rather than direct heat or water.
   - Simple: To be cooked by hot steam, like vegetables in a covered pot.
   - _Fish steams quickly and stays moist when wrapped in parchment._
   - _The buns steam for ten minutes until they puff up and soften._

## Adjective

20. Predating digital technology and old-fashioned in character.
   - Simple: Old-fashioned and from the time before computers and digital tools.
   - _He prefers his steam typewriter to any laptop._
   - _The newsroom still relies on steam techniques that predate the internet._

## Noun

21. Any exhalation or vapor given off by a body or substance. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Any breath or vapor breathed out or given off.
   - _Physicians of the age feared the noxious steam rising from stagnant pools._
   - _He spoke of the warm steam that the earth breathes out after rain._

## Verb

22. To exhale; to breathe out or give off as vapor. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To breathe out, or to give off vapor.

## Other meanings

- (noun) Fencing conducted without the use of any electric scoring equipment.

## Origin

This word comes from Middle English "steem" or "stem" and Old English "stēam," meaning steam, hot breath, or that which gives off vapor. It traces back to Proto-Germanic "*staumaz" (steam, vapor, breath) and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to whirl or waft. It is related to Dutch "stoom," West Frisian "steam," and Latin "fūmus" (smoke, steam).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/steam (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).