steam

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The hot gas that water turns into when it boils.

   Steam rose from the boiling kettle.

2. 2
   verb

   To cook food using the steam from boiling water.

   Just steam the vegetables for a few minutes.

3. 3
   verb

   To give off steam.

   A cup of coffee steamed on the table.

4. 4
   noun

   Energy or strength to keep going.

   After three weeks in bed he was finally able to sit up under his own steam.

5. 5
   noun

   Anger that has been held in.

   Dad went outside to blow off some steam.

Common collocations

• steam locomotive Noun + noun
• exhaust steam Noun + noun

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”).

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images