steam up

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

1. To become steamy.
2. To become coated with condensation.

   The bathroom mirror steamed up when he opened the shower door.

   1 more example

   The large plateglass window, from which I had an excellent view of the countryside the following day, was prevented from steaming up by a de-misting device.

   1953 July, Allen Rowley, “First Impressions of American Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 493

   Synonyms: fog up

3. transitiveTo bring (a steam boiler) up to working steam pressure: to build up a head of steam inside (a boiler).

   It takes about an hour to steam up the locomotive.

4. intransitiveto build up a head of steam.

   Engine 99 had been steaming up since 21:00.

   1 more example

   "The master of the Nan-Shan [...] desired Mr. Rout to have steam up to-morrow afternoon at one o'clock sharp."

   1919, Joseph Conrad, Typhoon, page 8

5. transitiveTo cook by steaming.

   I'll steam up a bunch of dumplings.