steam
n. uncountablen. the hot gas that rises from boiling water. You see it when you cook or when a hot shower makes the bathroom mirror cloudy.
n. the invisible gas into which water is converted when heated to the boiling point; commonly used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed by this gas cooling in the air.
Steam rises from the hot cup of tea.
Be careful when you lift the lid off the pot, as the hot steam can burn your skin.
The chef used a bamboo basket to cook the dumplings in steam, a method that preserves the delicate texture of the dough without adding extra fats.
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”).
Uncountable when referring to the gas or mist; occasionally used with 'a' in literary contexts to describe a specific plume.
- 01
blow off steam
To vent; to talk or take action (especially in a ranting or unrestrained way) so as to relieve stress.
- 02
employ a steam engine to crack a nut
To carry out a simple task in an overcomplicated manner.
- 03
head of steam
A significant amount of energy, vigour or momentum, sufficient to make progress or succeed in a task.