Meanings
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1
noun
A dish made by cooking diced meat very slowly in a tightly sealed pot with a minimum of flavourings, allowing it to steam in its own juices; specifically such a dish made with kangaroo meat.
But of all the dishes ever brought to table, nothing equals that of the "steamer." It is made by mincing the flesh of the kangaroo, and with it some pieces of pork or bacon. The animal has not any fat, or scarcely any, in its best season; when the meat is chopped up, it is thrown into a saucepan and covered over with the lid, and left to stew or steam gently by the fire-side: it is, from this method of cooking, called "steamer." [...] the flesh soon floats in its own rich gravy: it only requires pepper and salt to render it delicious. No one can tell what a steamer is, unless it has been tasted; it indeed affords an excellent repast, and it is surprising that the steamer, preserved in tins, has not yet been exported to England.
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2
noun
an edible clam with thin oval-shaped shell found in coastal regions of the United States and Europe
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3
noun
a ship powered by one or more steam engines
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4
noun
a cooking utensil that can be used to cook food by steaming it
Thesaurus
Etymology
From steam + -er. The steamer duck or steamer (sense 6.2) is apparently named for its resemblance to a paddle steamer when swimming rapidly.