steam

plural steams

1. uncountableusuallyThe hot gaseous form of water, formed when water changes from the liquid phase to the gas phase (at or above its boiling point temperature).
2. The suspended condensate (cloud) formed by water vapour when it encounters colder air.
   1. uncountableusuallyMist, fog.
   2. uncountableusuallyExhaled breath into cold air below the dew point of the exhalation.
3. uncountableusuallyPressurized water vapour used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.
4. uncountableusuallyThe act of cooking by steaming.

   Give the carrots a ten-minute steam.

5. figurativelyuncountableusuallyInternal energy for progress or motive power.

   run out of steam

   2 more examples

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

   Them that puts the most steam into it will get a finnuf slipped to 'em.

   1927, Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb, Ladies and Gentlemen, page 129

   Synonyms: stamina

6. figurativelyuncountableusuallyPent-up anger.

   Dad had to go outside to blow off some steam.

7. uncountableusuallyA steam-powered vehicle, referring to their use.

   Steam also takes charge of South Eastern (former P.L.M.) trains from Paris to Marseilles and the Riviera from Lyons onwards, and of Western Region trains from Le Mans onwards, as also between Paris and Dieppe and Le Havre.

   1958 July 28, 'Voyageur', “Modern French Locomotive Work—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 455

   1 more example

   Among the most modern of all the Pacific stock in Great Britain is the stud of "Merchant Navy" and "West Country" Pacifics on the Southern Region, and the rebuilding which is now being carried out, preserving all the best features of the Bulleid designs—such as the free-steaming boiler—and jettisoning the features that have given trouble, in particular the chain-driven valve-motion, should give the Southern a supply of highly-competent machines able to last out the remaining life of steam on the S.R.

   1957 July 28, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 496

   Synonyms: steamer

8. uncountableusuallyTravel by means of a steam-powered vehicle.
9. obsoleteuncountableusuallyAny exhalation.

   a steam of rich, distilled perfumes

   Comus

   1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC

10. uncountableusuallyfencingFencing without the use of any electric equipment.

present singular third person steams · participle present steaming · participle past steamed · past steamed

1. transitivecookingTo cook with steam.

   The best way to cook artichokes is to steam them.

2. figurativelyintransitiveliteralTo be cooked with steam.

   I'm steaming in this coat.

   1 more example

   The artichokes are steaming in the pot.

3. transitiveTo expose to the action of steam; to apply steam to for softening, dressing, or preparing.

   to steam wood or cloth

4. transitiveTo raise steam, e.g. in a steam locomotive.

   "We will give 198 a full exam. Then steam her, and operate her for the rest of the season.

   2023 July 12, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Saved: Trust protects Adrian Shooter's legacy”, in RAIL, number 987, page 28

   1 more example

   Until recently the mainstay of the line were four 2-8-2 + 2-8-2 Garratts, built for its opening. One is still steamed regularly, and there is no intention of breaking up the others, but the line has now been dieselised.

   1960 April 28, H. P. White, “The Railways of Sierra Leone”, in Railway Magazine, page 284

5. intransitiveTo produce or vent steam.

   See, ſee, my Brother's Ghoſt hangs hovering there, / O're his vvarm Blood, that ſteems into the Air, / Revenge, Revenge it cries.

   1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act III, scene iii, page 36

   1 more example

   I found that the Chapelon steamed almost too freely, because on a strange locomotive and road one usually tends to overfire a little through a natural lack of confidence.

   1961 February, 'Balmore', “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives - Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 110

6. intransitiveTo rise in vapour; to issue, or pass off, as vapour.

   Our breath steamed in the cold winter air.

   1 more example

   [T]he diſſolved Amber vvas plainly diſcernable ſvvimming like a thin film upon the ſurface of the Liquor, vvhence little by little it ſteamed avvay into the air.

   1661, Robert Boyle, “[Two Essays, Concerning the Unsuccessfulness of Experiments, Containing Divers Admonitions and Observations (Chiefly Chymical) Touching that Subject.] The First Essay, of the Unsuccessfulness of Experiments.”, in Certain Physiological Essays and Other Tracts; […], 2nd edition, London: […] Henry Herringman […], published 1669, →OCLC, page 66

7. figurativelyintransitiveTo become angry; to fume; to be incensed.
8. figurativelytransitiveTo make angry.

   It really steams me to see her treat him like that.

9. transitiveTo cover with condensed water vapor.

   With all the heavy breathing going on the windows were quickly steamed in the car.

   1 more example

   A strong sirocco was blowing the spray from the waves as far as the little café, whose glass doors were shut. The café reeked of brewing sage and human beings whose breath steamed the windows because of the cold outside.

   1952, Nikos Kazantzakis, chapter 1, in Carl Wildman, transl., Zorba the Greek, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, translation of Βίος και πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά [Víos kai politeía tou Aléxi Zormpá], →ISBN, page 3

10. intransitiveTo travel by means of steam power.

    We steamed around the Mediterranean.

    3 more examples

    The ship steamed out of the harbour.

    “Yes, Tennington, of course,” ventured Clayton; “it must be a bully idea if you had it, but what the deuce is it? Goin’ to steam to China via the south pole?”

    1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 112

    We steamed easily across the first part of the Tay Bridge, and then after passing over the long spans in mid-stream we coasted smoothly down the 1 in 114 gradient, and around the sweeping curve through Esplanade Station.

    1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 7

11. figurativelyliterallyTo move with great or excessive purposefulness.

    If he heard of anyone picking the fruit he would steam off and lecture them.

    2 more examples

    The No on 35 drive garnered the support of Black, Asian, and progressive church communities, and steamed to victory with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 6.

    1990 December 16, Chris Nealon, “Washhington Paper Celebrates Les/Gay Unions”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 22, page 6

    That was the hard work largely done as the Ivorian waited for Malouda to steam into the box before releasing a simple crossed pass which the Frenchman side-footed home with aplomb.

    2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC

12. obsoleteTo exhale.

    like inward fire that outward smoke had steemd

    1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

1. not comparableOld-fashioned; from before the digital age.

   Unlike the Web, old-fashioned steam television must be viewed in sequence in order to pick out those rare bits of useful information.

   2000 January 10, Bill Pannifer, “Sore eyes”, in The Independent

   3 more examples

   Tom Earle, a CBC radio veteran now compiling audio archives in Ottawa, used to refer to the medium in which he worked as "steam radio"

   1989 December 30, “Despite the era's technological marvels, 'wireless' is still magic”, in Toronto Star

   In the old days of steam journalism, after cleft sticks had been phased out but before the advent of e-mail, there used to be a fairly sure-fire way of getting your story to the news desk.

   2002 September 5, Alex Kirby, “Summit diary: Aftermath”, in BBC News

   Fox has been at Capital since 1988, where he lurks a little in the shadow of Chris Tarrant, the radio station's monolithic star who has helmed the plum breakfast show slot since the steam radio dawn of time.

   2004 April 2, “'I'ma player. It's time to move on'”, in Telegraph.co.uk

1. abbreviationinitialismuncountableInitialism of serial time-encoded amplified microscopy.
2. abbreviationuncountableAbbreviation of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, a grouping of several fields of education.