steam

noun

1. 1

   The 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. 2

   The suspended condensate (cloud) formed by water vapour when it encounters colder air. Mist, fog.

3. 3

   The suspended condensate (cloud) formed by water vapour when it encounters colder air. Exhaled breath into cold air below the dew point of the exhalation.

4. 4

   Pressurized water vapour used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.

5. 5

   The act of cooking by steaming.

   Give the carrots a ten-minute steam.

6. 6

   figurativeInternal energy for progress or motive power.

   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.

7. 7

   figurativePent-up anger.

   Dad had to go outside to blow off some steam.

8. 8

   A 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.

9. 9

   Travel by means of a steam-powered vehicle.

10. 10

    obsoleteAny exhalation.

    a steam of rich, distilled perfumes

11. 11

    Fencing without the use of any electric equipment.

verb

1. 1

   To cook with steam.

   The best way to cook artichokes is to steam them.

2. 2

   figurativeTo be cooked with steam.

   The artichokes are steaming in the pot.

   I'm steaming in this coat.

3. 3

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

   to steam wood or cloth

4. 4

   To raise steam, e.g. in a steam locomotive.

   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.

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

5. 5

   To 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.

   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.

6. 6

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

   Our breath steamed in the cold winter air.

   [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.

7. 7

   figurativeTo become angry; to fume; to be incensed.

8. 8

   figurativeTo make angry.

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

9. 9

   To cover with condensed water vapor.

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

   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.

10. 10

    To travel by means of steam power.

    We steamed around the Mediterranean.

    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?”

    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.

11. 11

    figurativeTo move with great or excessive purposefulness.

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

    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.

    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.

12. 12

    obsoleteTo exhale.

    like inward fire that outward smoke had steemd

adjective

1. 1

   Old-fashioned; from before the digital age.

   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"

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

   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.

   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.

Forms

plural

steams

past tense

steamed

past participle

steamed

present participle

steaming

third person singular

steams