• IPA: /stiːm/

steam (uncountable)

1. The vapor formed when water changes from liquid phase to gas phase.
2. Pressurized water vapour used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.
3. (figuratively) Internal energy for motive power.

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

4. (figuratively) Pent-up anger.

   Dad had to go outside to blow off some steam.

5. A steam-powered vehicle.
6. Travel by means of a steam-powered vehicle.
7. (obsolete) Any exhalation.
   • 1634 October 9 (first performance)​, [John Milton], H[enry] Lawes, editor, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: Printed [by Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, OCLC 228715864 ↗; 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 1113942837 ↗:

     a steam of rich, distilled perfumes

8. (fencing) Fencing without the use of any electric equipment.

• (a steam-powered vehicle) steamer

• (fencing) electric

• French: vapeur d'eau, vapeur
• German: Wasserdampf, Dampf
• Italian: vapore
• Portuguese: vapor
• Russian: пар
• Spanish: vapor

• French: vapeur
• German: Dampf
• Portuguese: vapor
• Russian: пар

• German: Kraft, Energie

steam (steams, present participle steaming; past and past participle steamed)

1. (cooking, transitive) To cook with steam.

   The best way to cook artichokes is to steam them.

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

   to steam wood or cloth

3. (intransitive) To produce or vent steam.

   • My brother's ghost hangs hovering there, / O'er his warm blood, that steams into the air.

4. (intransitive) To rise in vapour; to issue, or pass off, as vapour.

   Our breath steamed in the cold winter air.

   • The dissolved amber […] steamed away into the air.

5. (intransitive, figuratively) To become angry; to fume; to be incensed.
6. (transitive, figuratively) To make angry.

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

7. (intransitive) To be covered with condensed water vapor.

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

8. (intransitive) To travel by means of steam power.

   We steamed around the Mediterranean.

   • The vessel steamed out of port.

9. (figuratively or literally) To move with great or excessive purposefulness.

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

10. (obsolete) To exhale.

• See also Thesaurus:cook

• French: cuisiner
• German: dämpfen, dünsten
• Portuguese: cozer/cozinhar no vapor

steam (not comparable)

1. Old-fashioned; from before the digital age.

steam

1. Initialism of serial time-encoded amplified microscopy
2. Abbreviation of science#English|science, technology#English|technology, engineering#English|engineering, arts#English|arts, mathematics#English|mathematics.

• STEM science, technology, engineering, mathematics
• STEMM science, technology, engineering, mathematics, manufacturing