steam.
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).
Meaning & usage
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).
The suspended condensate (cloud) formed by water vapour when it encounters colder air. Mist, fog.
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.
Pressurized water vapour used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.
The act of cooking by steaming.
Give the carrots a ten-minute steam.
Internal energy for progress or motive power.
After three weeks in bed he was finally able to sit up under his own steam.
run out of steam
Pent-up anger.
Dad had to go outside to blow off some steam.
A steam-powered vehicle, referring to their use.
Travel by means of a steam-powered vehicle.
Any exhalation.
Fencing without the use of any electric equipment.
Where this word comes from
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”).
To cook with steam.
The best way to cook artichokes is to steam them.
To be cooked with steam.
The artichokes are steaming in the pot.
I'm steaming in this coat.
To expose to the action of steam; to apply steam to for softening, dressing, or preparing.
to steam wood or cloth
To raise steam, e.g. in a steam locomotive.
To produce or vent steam.
To rise in vapour; to issue, or pass off, as vapour.
Our breath steamed in the cold winter air.
To become angry; to fume; to be incensed.
To make angry.
It really steams me to see her treat him like that.
To cover with condensed water vapor.
With all the heavy breathing going on the windows were quickly steamed in the car.
To travel by means of steam power.
We steamed around the Mediterranean.
The ship steamed out of the harbour.
To move with great or excessive purposefulness.
If he heard of anyone picking the fruit he would steam off and lecture them.
To exhale.
Where this word comes from
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”).
Old-fashioned; from before the digital age.
Where this word comes from
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”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.