steam
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the hot mist or gas that rises from boiling water.
n.the hot gaseous form of water or the visible cloud of condensate formed when water vapour meets cooler air.
Simple“Be careful when you open the pot, as the hot steam can burn your skin.”
In context“A thick cloud of steam rose from the geothermal vent, obscuring the hikers' view of the valley floor for several minutes.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the energy or speed you have when doing something.
n.metaphorical energy, momentum, or motive power required for progress.
Simple“The project started well, but it began to lose steam after the first month.”
In context“The campaign gained significant steam following the endorsement from the local community leaders, leading to a surge in volunteer applications.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to move somewhere very quickly and with a lot of energy or anger.
v.to move with great purposefulness or speed, often implying a lack of regard for obstacles.
Simple“He was so angry that he steamed out of the room without saying goodbye.”
In context“The heavy locomotive steamed through the countryside, its rhythmic chugging audible from miles away across the open plains.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to become covered in tiny drops of water so you cannot see through it.
v.to become covered with condensed water vapour, typically referring to glass surfaces.
Simple“The bathroom mirror always steams up when I take a hot shower.”
In context“The car windows began to steam up rapidly as the temperature outside dropped, forcing the driver to turn on the defroster.”
“He also defined the temperature at which water boils and turns into steam to be 212 degrees F.”
From Middle English steem, stem, from Old English stēam (“steam, hot exhalation, hot breath; that which emits vapour; blood”), from Proto-Germanic staumaz (“steam, vapour, breath”), from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- (“to whirl, waft, stink, shake; steam, haze, smoke”). Cognate with Scots stem, steam (“steam”), West Frisian steam (“steam, vapour”), Dutch stoom (“steam, vapour”), Low German stom (“steam”), Swedish dialectal stimma (“steam, fog”), Latin fūmus (“smoke, steam”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.