| 释义 |
Definition of steam in English: steamnoun stiːmstim mass noun1The vapour into which water is converted when heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air. steam was rising from the mugs of coffee she wiped the steam off the mirror Example sentencesExamples - Internal combustion engined vehicles were converted to run on steam or gas and had contraptions attached that made them look more akin to vehicles in Star Wars.
- Without warning a cloud of white steam poured forth from the rock wall in front of her, and she lost her footing momentarily.
- Your first day driving around Iceland you spend most of your time pointing out to whoever you are with every cloud of steam rising from the side of the road.
- She wiped steam from the mirror and ran a comb through her hair.
- He came out of the bathroom a few minutes after trailing steam and heated droplets of water.
- Then the snow and rain turned to steam on the heated road surfaces, this steam floated off like fog, which caused several car accidents.
- We walked through a yak herder's camp where great black beasts snorted columns of white steam.
- If spots seem dried on, boil water in a glass cup a few minutes; steam should loosen soil.
- But every one or two minutes, the placid water erupts in an explosion of mud, followed by a plume of white steam.
- They should not be clouded by steam, frost, water droplets or tarnished by cracks or scratches.
- Liquid ammonia is heated with water drawn from near the surface of the ocean and converted into steam.
- I walked up to it and I saw white steam being sucked under the door.
- I watched the white steam rising with the shadow of itself following.
- So the cameras would gingerly peer through the steam and mist to reveal eleven fit, young men romping around in the soapy waters of a huge bath.
- By forcing water down into the rocks, the heated water would produce steam which in turn could be used to drive power generating turbines.
- Three or four clapped-out old busses grouped in the darkness, clouds of steam, people standing about waiting to be told where to go, what to do.
- You may also notice clouds of steam magically rising from out of the ground around the city and wonder what is going on.
- He carefully poured some of the flask's contents into a cup from which rose a thin column of white steam.
- Matt moved to the front of the car and picked up the hood to unleash another huge cloud of white steam.
- Wisps of light purple steam rise from the heated water contained in stylish vessels around the Aromatherapy Health Resort inside the City Hotel.
Synonyms water vapour, condensation, mist, haze, fog, exhalation, moisture, dampness rare fume, smoke - 1.1 The invisible gaseous form of water, formed by boiling, from which this vapour condenses.
Example sentencesExamples - The German habit of experimenting came to the fore even at such a time, and there were many detail variations as well as major ones, such as condensing the exhaust steam.
- This signals something called a phase transition, like when steam cools and condenses into water.
- For example, when you boil water, it takes the gaseous form of steam, but this gas doesn't react with oxygen in the air.
- Touted by some as water's purest form, distilled water is produced by condensing steam from boiled water back into its liquid state.
- The water is recycled and reused, but it is still a very costly method of extraction because it takes a lot of natural gas to create steam.
- Since Einstein we have known that energy and matter are two forms of the same thing, as steam and ice are two forms of water.
- He also noted how much heat was needed to turn ice into cold water, or boiling water into steam: the phenomenon of latent heat.
- Iron also reacts with very hot water and steam to produce hydrogen gas and with most acids and a number of other elements.
- Natural gas, boiling water, and steam will heat the wood effectively and allow the cooper to bend the staves without the creation of blisters on the inside of the staves.
- The intense steam of the shower condensed on the glass door of the stall, only the outline of her body visible, as Ethan stepped in to the bathroom.
- The steam then cools and condenses to form purified water.
- So now they're powering their mill for nothing, selling off the surplus energy to the grid, and condensing the steam to make hot water they can pipe into the locals' homes.
- Both gauges burst and there was a mass of steam and boiling water.
- When steam and later compressed air were available for drilling the holes and dressing the quarry blocks, the use of granite proliferated.
- York grabbed the cup with a shaky hand, popping the plastic top off, condensed steam on the inside edge before it all wafted out into York's face.
- Even better would be a location close to an existing manufacturing site that offers excess steam or electric power as a byproduct.
- This heat can be used to boil water, producing steam to run a turbine that turns an electric generator.
- If you were the steam of a boiling pot of water and you hit the wall, the wall would be so cool that you would quickly become a liquid.
- This energy (as heat) is released when the steam condenses to water and the water cools to the temperature of skin.
- The steam from a boiling pot emits smells of paprika and spices that wash over the kitchen's somewhat acrid, greasy-spoon aroma.
- 1.2 The expansive force of steam used as a source of power for machines.
the equipment was originally powered by steam as modifier a steam locomotive Example sentencesExamples - The Industrial Revolution was powered by steam and coal - not oil.
- He entered the navy a midshipman in the era of cannon balls and oak hulls powered by sail, and retired as admiral of a fleet of steel, powered by steam, that fired huge shells thousands of yards.
- There are no boilers, no engine and no remains of auxiliary machinery or steam pipes, just a big gap in the middle of the wreck left by some long-forgotten salvage company.
- The most important category is the generation of electric power from geothermal steam.
- The canal-side steam powered the weaving mill, in Clitheroe Road, which was built before 1879 and added to in 1891 and 1910.
- Crowds billowed on to East Lancashire Railway platforms where two newly refurbished steam machines were wheeled out for all to see.
- Applying pressure to the garment The pressure comes from the head of the pressing machine, while steam is diffused through the bottom.
- The heat and exhaust gases are captured and utilized to provide electrical power and steam for laundry facilities.
- The pressure from this steam forced the piston upward once it was high enough to counteract the weight and atmospheric pressure on the cylinder.
- Nuclear power plants used enriched uranium as fuel to make steam to turn turbines which generate electricity.
- In gradually substituting steam for stream power in their manufactures, they lessened the impact of drought or flood.
- Off this is a well appointed en suite bathroom which is fully tiled in white and fitted with a bidet, wash hand basin, and a power shower cubicle with steam room facility.
- In these cases, well operators sometime use a steam drive, or continuous steam injection, to force the oil out.
- They can be cut and burnt to produce steam to power turbines.
- Initially, I was disappointed to discover that today's PoW is kitted out more modestly and powered not by steam but by diesel.
- With the arrival of steam as a power source, doctors could treat hysteria in the office using new devices developed for this purpose.
- Murrays' Mills in Ancoats are 200 years old and were among the first buildings in the world to use steam to power machines.
- Use immersion blender or cappuccino machine steam attachment to froth carrot foam mixture.
- Other industrial archaeological sites include nineteenth-century steam machinery and vacuum pans, as well as the rum distilleries.
- Kew is home not only to some great steam machines but is also an interactive paradise for kids, 11 am to 5pm daily.
- 1.3 Locomotives and railway systems powered by steam.
we were trainspotters in the last years of steam Example sentencesExamples - For generations, its very name has conjured up the glory days of Britain's railways when steam was king and every town had a station.
- 1.4 Energy and momentum or impetus.
the anti-corruption drive gathered steam Example sentencesExamples - Hundreds of flights to and from the midwestern and northeastern United States were cancelled on Saturday and road traffic slowed to a crawl as the storm gathered steam.
- Unquestionably, Dean already has a full head of steam.
- The movement for reparations from countries engaged in the African slave trade is building up a head of steam.
- So any proposal involving Primakov is potentially tainted before it even gets a full head of steam.
- Already the no side has developed a significant head of steam with multiple and well-publicised launches and high-profile figures involved.
- As it gathered steam, I was greatly impressed with several moments, but a corny line or an awkward coincidence was always around the bend.
- One of their big players got up a head of steam and charged at me.
- And your ideological compatriots in the media might not be able to get up much of a head of steam banging the table for a bunch of hot dog magnates.
- Even tax hikes in the budget are unlikely to choke off the current market's head of steam, Britain's biggest building society predicted on Friday.
- A campaign to get more bank holidays is gaining a head of steam.
- However, the signals emanating from high-level briefings make it clear that a head of steam is once more building in Washington towards more drastic action.
- Once the campaign gathered steam, the Trust had to take an interest in the matter, and found that its first lines of defence were inadequate to it.
- Some of the heat and pressure will be taken off if the multi-billion dollar push to rebuild and extend Australia's rail networks gets up a decent head of steam.
- Delegates were sceptical because they had seen the head of steam built up through strike action last year allowed to seep away.
- In five minutes flat even the grumpiest kid there was bent over in a fit of laughter, as the parade of the looniest gestures imaginable gathered steam.
- I'm hoping he has a rhetorical head of steam coming into this debate.
- Hence I hit the mike with a full head of steam, overcharged and full of momentum.
- The gloom lifted as quickly as it came this year, when prices for some prime properties soared by 40 per cent as the Hong Kong economy gathered steam.
- We had beaten them already and they were after building up a head of steam through the qualifiers.
- But they really started to get up a head of steam when the United Nations started to take credit for the work that the American military was doing.
Synonyms energy, vigour, vigorousness, vitality, stamina, enthusiasm momentum, impetus, power, force, strength, thrust, impulse, push, drive, driving power speed, pace, velocity
verb stiːmstim 1no object Give off or produce steam. a mug of coffee was steaming at her elbow Example sentencesExamples - Her mother paid the bill and Ekat grabbed the tea, which was still steaming gently.
- Nearby, the Huka Falls are gushing forth, the sulphurous earth steams eerily and sludgy geysers are grumbling and occasionally completely losing their cool.
- When I throw a switch it steams dangerously and coffee drizzles from many unpredictable valves.
- Ruth loved the smell of the rainwater steaming off the asphalt; that sensation, more than any other, defined summer.
- Listeners ought to hear the sleigh bells ring, see the vivid red of the velvet dress and smell the spicy potpourri steaming on the stove.
- Caleb's computer was on and his coffee cup was steaming but he wasn't in sight.
- If a pipe breaks, the 500 degree water would blow off as steam, tearing off plant insulation and coatings.
- Because of a storm the previous day, the ground was literally steaming.
- As my train arrived, the monsoon abruptly stopped, the sun came out, leaving me gently steaming on platform five at Reading.
- Adam jerked his thumb over to the stove where the coffee pot was steaming on the hot plate.
- The coffee cup still steamed, though it had sat empty for the best part of the last half hour.
- And on September 24, kettles will be steaming away as the World Biggest Coffee Morning rolls into action.
- They were quickly served and tasted best when still steaming.
- As I type, an angry thunderstorm is rolling across the skies and the rain is lashing down onto the scorched pavements; now gently steaming.
- The coffee steamed and I flopped out on my bunk, keeping a careful eye on the clock.
- As the sun pushes over the ridge, the earth steams.
- Well, I still have a cough, though it's much diminished, yielding ground day by day to a steady trickle of hot rum toddies served steaming at appropriate times.
- The cutlets are great, so is the chutney, though the ‘masala dosas’ might not be as steaming as you would like.
- You'll get delicate, herb-infused fish steamed gently in their own juices.
- 1.1steam up" or "steam something up Become or cause something to become covered or misted over with steam.
no object the glass keeps steaming up with object the warm air had begun to steam up the windows Example sentencesExamples - I can't keep my crash helmet's visor down while driving, because it steams up as soon as I exhale, and I have a 25-minute journey to work.
- Mr Lips looked at my distorted alien face through my mask, which was beginning to steam up, and looked a little concerned.
- ‘I thought it was suspicious that the back windows were all steamed up even though it was a cool evening,’ Mr Rauscher explained.
- We would neck in the car until the windows were steamed up with our passion.
- Then he returned home to find his Sandringham Street shop windows steamed up, water coming through the ceiling and stock floating across the floor.
- However, on a rainy Monday morning, the windows are steaming up thanks to John Charles's constant queue of damp customers.
- As we were sitting on the couch reading, we noticed the windows were steaming up.
- Mohsen looks like a Lebanese workmen's cafe, its windows permanently steamed up and blotched with notices and stickers.
- His face was covered by a see-through plastic, which steamed up with his breath every twenty seconds or so, and his eyes might flutter open, or his face contort into another horrible position.
- The windows were steamed up and Mr Palmer was inside.
- There could be too much damp in the car, so when the interior heats up the water that has leaked in begins to evaporate and, as fast as the heater tries to demist it, the windscreen steams up again.
- The windows are steamed up, streaming the condensed exhaled breath of all and sundry, including the alcoholic who's presently drooling on your new coat.
- Seafood addicts crowd around the bar, and if enough people order chowder or the grilled lobster (split in half, over lava coals), the big storefront windows steam up a little.
- And peaking just over the tops of the tin roofs, you can see two double-decker buses, their windows steamed up and their occupants bundled up in huge padded anoraks.
- I know that the water is in a pan, that the hob the pan is on is green, and that steam from the pan is steaming up the kitchen windows.
- When she cooked rabbit stew, or a lovely jam roly-poly in iron pots, the windows steamed up while I turned the fan for the open fire.
- She tried the other out of curiosity, and was amazed when hot water surged out, beginning to steam up the room immediately.
- Last night I went in and picked up some books and the windows were all steamed up.
- Early technical hitches were quickly overcome to deliver a block rockin’ set for the crowd who loved every minute of it - the windows were steamed up good.
- He had been patrolling at the far end of one of the Council car parks when he came across a camper van with the windows completely steamed up.
Synonyms mist (up), fog (up), become misty/misted, become covered with condensation
2with object Cook (food) by heating it in steam from boiling water. steam the vegetables until just tender Example sentencesExamples - Sometimes we choose to steam our vegetables, sauté them in some olive oil or mix them with our salad greens.
- In a school context this stir fry should be re-producible either in a series of large pans or by blanching or steaming the vegetables very briefly and then warming them through in the oven.
- Besides the icing cakes, the bakers have steamed a plum pudding that may well rock the regular variety.
- Make sure there's enough water in the pot to steam the meat and fish, so if it's looking a bit dry, add some more boiling water.
- The recipe has you steam carrots and zucchini in sticks, and layer them with a batter made of fresh goat cheese, eggs and faisselle.
- Steam the ingredients for twenty minutes, then serve.
- Prepare a hot steamer basket and steam the pork until tender, about three hours.
- While steaming the rice, sauté some garlic, onions and green peppers in a teaspoon of olive oil for five minutes.
- Place the dumplings on the prepared steaming rack and steam the dumplings until the skins are soft, about 15 minutes.
- After explanation of the fish come general hints on how to cook fish, from deep frying, steaming, broiling and cooking it in butter.
- Remove the plastic wrap and steam the bread until cooked.
- Preparation and cooking: Use young leaves in salads; steam or braise mature leaves.
- Add the cabbage and stir-fry it for five or six minutes, splashing in 3 tbsp water to help steam the cabbage, until it is tender.
- To cook raw chestnuts, you can either roast, steam, or boil them - or throw them in a rice cooker like I did this time around.
- You can steam carrots anyway you like - just add more cooking time for larger pieces.
- I boiled the winkles and steamed the potatoes as quickly as I could.
- Just brown the pasta in oil first, add broth and cook until the pasta is tender, then steam some seafood quickly on top.
- Rubel burns a fire down to embers and braises vegetables, simmers spelt, roasts fish, and even steams a chocolate cake, all at his fireplace.
- To steam food, it is held over boiling liquid and the heat is transmitted by water vapour surrounding the food, and condensing on it.
- 2.1no object (of food) cook by heating in steam.
leave the mussels to steam Example sentencesExamples - Grilling, steaming or microwaving food rather than frying or roasting means less fat is added during cooking.
- On a few food-vendor's stalls the bamboo baskets of buns still steamed and the tables in the houses were set.
- Protected in its nest of agave leaves, the meat would steam away for hours before carefully being dug from the pit.
- Freshly cooked mekitsa steamed on our plates and a delicious aroma drifted up from the freshly brewed coffee.
- The tipang, a pork leg first steamed then cooked in the wok with delicious sauce and spices, is irresistible.
- Peel the potatoes and lay them on top of the casserole, so they will steam while the stew cooks.
- I also had a local specialty for lunch - white roses are prawn meat steamed inside wonton wrappers.
- In the centre is a small mound of saffron palau (basmati rice steamed with saffron).
- Preserved soya bean steamed with cured meat is delicious and very salty as well.
- With practice, one may sauté, bake, steam, braise, simmer, or sear just about anything.
- With the flavours intensifying as the food simultaneously steams and roasts, and no juices lost or boiled away, the end result is bags of flavour (sorry).
- A note on the menu invites diners to consider the advice of servers in deciding whether to order their dish steamed, grilled or fried.
- If you want the greatest nutritional value from your corn, how should you eat it: raw, quickly steamed or thoroughly cooked?
- Yellow rice wine, pork meat steamed on lotus leaves, eight ingredients cake and zongzi are the specialities of Xitang and you can taste them in all the restaurants in the town.
- This is the time to experiment with some of those new veggie recipes you've been cutting out of magazines, or just enjoy the vegetables steamed with some herbs and a little butter or olive oil.
- By cooked I mean steamed, baked or lightly sautéed, not fried.
- But wood-fired ovens go far beyond bread, and are capable of roasting, broiling, steaming or braising.
- The Dum ki Kumbh, stir-fried button mushrooms steam cooked in a traditional Kashmiri gravy.
- There is not a human being in sight but food still steams on a cooker inviting the hungry parents with its aromas.
- The staple food, boiled or steamed, is served with a sauce of leaves, flavored with dried fish or shellfish, and vegetables.
- 2.2 Clean or otherwise treat with steam.
he steamed his shirts to remove the odour Example sentencesExamples - It may help to steam clean carpeting at least once a year.
- My ex-brother-in-law worked in a western wear store and had his hats cleaned and creased by a fellow who steamed the headgear and shaped the brim along the curves of his own beer belly.
- We put in new mahogany faces on the bar counters, re-varnished the tables, steam cleaned the carpets, had the chairs recovered and put in new curtains.
- 2.3with object and complement or adverbial Apply steam to (something fixed with adhesive) so as to open or loosen it.
he'd steamed the letter open and then resealed it Example sentencesExamples - Detectives shadowed him on board a transatlantic liner, and during his stay in New York even steamed open his post at his hotel.
- He took it back to his house, and steamed open all of the bills, letters, Social Security checks and anything else of interest.
- He went to the kitchen and boiled water, then took the letter and steamed the envelope open so as not to damage it.
- You can get to know them even better if you steam the letters open first.
- I remember hearing that if you hold a sealed envelope over steam it opens it up so you can be all spy like and open it without harming the parcel.
- Carefully, in case she found that she needed to reseal it, she steamed the envelope open and peeled away the fold.
3no object, with adverbial of direction (of a ship or train) travel somewhere under steam power. the 11.54 steamed into the station Example sentencesExamples - A train steams deep into the mountainside giving tourists a closer look at huge stalactites and stalagmites.
- In the dark of night, a 150-foot yacht packed to the gunwales with explosives slowly steams toward Naval Station Norfolk.
- All boats steamed ashore for shelter as the winds and sea caused havoc along the coast.
- Since the first trains steamed out of Oxenhope in 1978, Angela, 66, of Bingley, has worked on every one of the four trips a year.
- Families and guests enjoyed the views of Sydney harbour and coastline as the ship steamed for Broken Bay, positioning at the starting line off Barrenjoey Head.
- The ship is currently steaming from San Lorenzo, northwest of Buenos Aires in Argentina, after leaving the port on March 27.
- The landing ship has steamed more than 24,000 miles during her deployment.
- As the sun rose, we could make out the near vertical cliffs rising out of the ocean and the ship steaming right between them.
- On 7 February, a train steamed into Leningrad after having passed through the corridor and crossed the Neva on track laid over the ice.
- The following vessels steamed into a group of trawlers which had not been told of the evening's movements.
- The ship held two memorial services, one at dawn in Seychelles harbour and one at sunset as the ship steamed on the journey home from distinguished service in Operations Slipper and Falconer.
- During almost ten years in commission, the ship has steamed nearly 110,000 miles and visited 81 ports in 14 countries.
- Since leaving the UK at the beginning of the year, the ship has steamed 42,000 miles, discharged 60,000 tonnes of oil, and refuelled ships 95 times.
- The full majesty of the vehicle can best be viewed from elsewhere - take advantage of this when you get off at any of the stops and look around for the trains steaming through the countryside.
- West of Hawaii, the ship steamed through a ferocious north Pacific storm.
- US, Japanese and Australian naval ships are steaming toward the area with on-board hospitals and water desalination plants.
- Long shots of Commodore Jackson's boat steaming along the river provide a sense of spaciousness and leisure.
- It was noon next day when he stood on the platform, the train breathing steam alongside like an impatient dragon or an old scholar puffing poppy heads.
- Again they radioed for it to pull up, but the ship steamed on.
- As the two 18, 500-tonne assault ships steamed around the Channel, Albion's sponsor, the Princess Royal, visited the vessel for the first time at sea.
- 3.1informal Come, go, or move somewhere rapidly or in a forceful way.
Jeremy steamed in ten minutes late figurative the company has steamed ahead with its investment programme Example sentencesExamples - An appeal launched by the National Railway Museum to save locomotive Flying Scotsman for the nation is steaming ahead, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.
- The latest jobs report shows that the economy is steaming ahead.
- The home side however steamed ahead from early on with a good cross in from Michael Clowry which was finished in style by Cathal O'Brien.
- But having been here for a considerable length of time, it has struck me that as Shanghai steams ahead in the new millennium, it still remains inextricably linked with its near-forgotten past.
- The Council and developer are already steaming ahead and preparing the £20 million Connecting the City scheme.
- It is an approach that gains steam as the movie moves forward and gives the film's climax a powerful sense of the inevitable.
- This manga-based masterpiece steams ahead on so many levels and with so much depth, detail and mind-bending imagery that your brain barely has time to catch up with itself.
- The new chairman is steaming ahead on a huge sea of goodwill from the supporters.
- He said this week that the project is steaming ahead, with building work hoped to start next year.
- The second half saw a change of pace as the Rosenallis / Clonaslee lads piled on the pressure and started to dominate the game which saw them steam ahead.
- So, finally and belatedly, the idea that is creeping up is that of a two-speed Europe, in which a hard core of integrationist states steams ahead in the direction of a United States of Europe.
- That is not a recipe for re-electing an incumbent who took responsibility for the now-slowing recovery when it was steaming ahead.
- The application for the amendments is a milestone in the progress of the scheme because it is one of the last pieces in the jigsaw before things can steam ahead.
- Moves are steaming ahead to honour an Atherton-born boffin whose vision of a high speed hovertrain was dismissed.
- Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half the Clonaslee lads steamed ahead as they broke through the Belmont defence and dominated the game.
- Bury's East Lancashire Railway has been given the green light to steam ahead with plans to renovate the town's historic Bury Transport Museum.
- A project to recreate a piece of Bolton's industrial heritage is steaming ahead thanks to a 5,000 donation.
- Work is expected to steam ahead in October on a £3 million centre in ‘forgotten’ Horton Grange.
- They steam implacably ahead while the rest of us flail about in a sea of moral relativism and get nothing but mental cramp for our trouble.
- Now the Forster Square Development Partnership is set to steam ahead with the city-centre project which already has planning consent.
Synonyms sprint, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hare, bolt, bound, fly, gallop, career, charge, pound, shoot, hurtle, speed, streak, whizz, zoom, sweep, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind, flash, double run, sprint, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hare, bolt, bound, fly, gallop, pound, shoot, hurtle, speed, streak, whizz, zoom, sweep, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind, flash, double - 3.2steam inBritish informal no object Start or join a fight.
he'll be the one to throw the first punch, then run to the back when the others steam in - 3.3often as noun steaminginformal no object (of a gang of thieves) move rapidly through a public place, stealing things or robbing people on the way.
steaming is not restricted to tube trains - 3.4with object Generate steam in and operate (a steam locomotive)
you can learn the intricacies of steaming a locomotive for the first time Example sentencesExamples - Myth and symbol, however, attach less readily to an elemental melange: it is an iron horse that steamed its way across the American plain, the iron fist that represents a display of might.
4often be/get steamed upinformal no object Be or become extremely agitated or angry. you got all steamed up over nothing! after steaming behind the closed door in his office, he came out and screamed at her Synonyms become agitated, get worked up, get overwrought, get flustered, panic, become panic-stricken informal get het up, get into a state, get into a tizzy, get uptight, get into a stew, get the willies, get the heebie-jeebies, go into a flat spin British informal have kittens, have an attack of the wobblies become very angry, become enraged, go into a rage, lose one's temper informal go/get mad, go crazy, go wild, see red, go bananas, hit the roof, go through the roof, go up the wall, go off the deep end, fly off the handle, blow one's top, blow a fuse/gasket, lose one's rag, go ape, flip, flip one's lid, go non-linear, go ballistic, go psycho British informal go crackers, go spare, do one's nut North American informal flip one's wig, blow one's lid/stack vulgar slang go apeshit
Phrases get up (or pick up) steam 1Generate enough pressure to drive a steam engine. we were assured that the boat could get up steam in ten minutes or so 2(of a project in its early stages) gradually gain more impetus. his campaign steadily picked up steam Example sentencesExamples - The experience of the past year has forced the company to reorient its strategy, including a few steps in reverse, in order to pick up steam.
- Television star Thompson entered the race later than the other candidates and has yet to pick up the steam on the campaign.
have steam coming out of one's ears informal Be extremely angry or irritated. Example sentencesExamples - And, if he wanted to make the back row even hungrier than usual, he has achieved it superbly because Alex has steam coming out of his ears.
- My face's so hot, if I were a cartoon, I'd have steam coming out of my ears.
- Stacy looked as if she could have steam coming out of her ears.
- On badly depressing days I could walk around with a black cloud over my head, if I was feeling stressed I could have steam coming out of my ears.
- Like his colleagues around the table at Macleans College, he practically has steam coming out of his ears.
- Earlier for the sake of simplicity I told a little fib, and some of you have steam coming out of your ears by now because this fib is driving you crazy.
- New York's electoral votes are all going to go to Kerry whether New Yorkers have steam coming out of their ears or are lounging around watching sports and laughing and drinking.
- He had steam coming out of his ears as things were slipping out of control.
(of a steam locomotive) ready for work, with steam in the boiler. both of the engines were recently in steam Example sentencesExamples - The heritage railway, which runs from Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse, will have five Swindon-built locomotives in steam on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Machine power, manifested in steam, internal combustion, and jet engines, provides strategic and tactical mobility and logistic lift to armed forces.
informal Get rid of pent-up energy or strong emotion. the kids can let off steam in the gardens while mum and dad have a relaxing drink sometimes it's good to let off steam by having a good whinge Example sentencesExamples - Surprisingly the defence that this is war, or that our enemies do worse, hasn't been made as loudly made as when troops tortured prisoners to let off steam.
- If your child is bursting with energy, let him run around to let off steam before moving on to more calming activities.
- Playing does much more than just help kids let off steam, according to City of York Council, which has launched an initiative to get more youngsters enjoying themselves.
- That was a raucous blast of rock energy, Adams letting off steam.
- I needed something to help them blow off steam and energy.
- We've danced to let off steam, to express ourselves and get rid of excess energy, we've danced to attract a partner and for religious reasons.
- Sometimes I think the only thing they achieve is that people can let off steam.
- Caroline, who is a part-time support worker for Young Carers, believes children such as Steffanie need a weekly outlet to let off steam and be children.
- But many voters see the referendum as a chance to let off steam over what they regard as the government's economic policy failures.
- But she just didn't understand why she couldn't run around and let off steam with the other dogs.
Synonyms give vent to one's feelings, speak one's mind, sound off, lose one's inhibitions, let oneself go
informal Lose impetus or enthusiasm. a rebellion that had run out of steam Example sentencesExamples - There is no sign yet of the inexorable rise in property prices running out of steam… and according to market experts fears that the bubble will burst are unfounded.
- In following years protests continued but the peace movement (both locally and internationally) seems to be running out of steam.
- That said, Richard commented that rising interest rates does mean that buying power is already running out of steam at the high end of the market and is more noticeable in certain parts of the country.
- It is laid back, ambling on its jolly way, and just when it should be gathering momentum it runs out of steam.
- However, better to have such a change on the radar screens, say the bulls, than deepening doubts that the US and global recovery were running out of steam.
- The two very sexy stars provide enough chemistry in this stylized thriller but the movie runs out of steam halfway through.
- Sandy Neilson's production, enthusiastically performed by the resident company, strikes an appropriate, rollicking tone but gradually runs out of steam.
- I'd like watch as each argument just runs out of steam, leaving just the prejudice and chauvinism for all to see.
- The McCartney campaign is gently running out of steam now, not because the need to find the killer is any less urgent, but simply because the elections are over and the media is getting bored with it.
- The trend already seems to be running out of steam, due to market oversaturation.
(with reference to travel) without assistance from others. we're going to have to get there under our own steam Example sentencesExamples - All you can do is toast the brave men who power up here under their own steam.
- He prefers to travel under his own steam, free of deadlines and the constriction of a commission.
- The seamen were carried bodily back across the moor although some of them could walk under their own steam.
- Although they came with English-speaking guides, transport and some refreshments, we soon learned it was possible to do the trips under your own steam and at a fraction of the price.
- Cut down on car use: use public transport or even travel under your own steam where possible!
- If you are travelling under your own steam to a dive site in the same country, a large bag that takes everything, with an extending handle and a set of wheels so that you can move it, is probably the answer.
- In Scotland trafficking is still quite rare with most of the sex workers who travel to Britain doing so under their own steam.
- ‘These delegates often travel under their own steam and bring a partner so are therefore likely to stay on for an extra weekend,’ a spokesman for VisitScotland said.
- But I've set off down this road, and I should at least travel some distance under my own steam before deciding to turn back and simply be a passenger on someone else's mystery train.
- Here, unlike in England and Wales, the public have rights of access to any waterway - be it under your own steam or as part of an organised event.
Synonyms unaided, unassisted, without help, without assistance, independently, by oneself, by one's own efforts, on one's own two feet
(of a machine) being operated by steam. the only beam engine working under steam in Cornwall Example sentencesExamples - As always, the dredge took an age to reach the seafloor and, after the usual several hours of towing under steam, yet another age before it reached the surface again, finally arriving back at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
- The Prince Consort beam engine at the Grade II listed Crossness Pumping House will be under steam during an open day in Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, this Sunday between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm.
- The MFV Reaper the flag ship of the Scottish Fisheries Museum made the trip from the Arbroath boat building yard of MacKay's in blustery conditions under steam of a new engine fitted as part of the £120,000 six-month overhaul.
- He and Mr Stevenson were on the last train pulled by Flying Scotsman under steam on May 4, 1968.
- The King, which last operated under steam about 1946, came close to destruction several times until it was converted to a floating hotel here.
- That's experienced railroading, You got the hostler to bring around something that was under steam and couple her up behind the diesel.
- It was scrapped July 1953, and was probably the last T - 1 under steam.
Origin Old English stēam 'vapour', stēman 'emit a scent, be exhaled', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stoom 'steam'. In Old English steam was any kind of hot vapour or gas, and did not settle into the modern meaning until the 15th century. The phrase let off steam, meaning ‘to get rid of pent-up energy or strong emotion’, originated in the context of steam engines in the early 19th century. The literal meaning is ‘to release excess steam from a steam engine through a valve’, vital in preventing the engine from blowing up. The meaning which is familiar today arose in the 1830s in the alternative version blow off steam. There is a related image in have steam coming out of your ears, meaning ‘to be very angry’. Other phrases that recall the days of steam engines include get up (or pick up) steam, run out of steam, and under your own steam.
Rhymes abeam, agleam, beam, blaspheme, bream, deem, deme, downstream, dream, esteem, extreme, gleam, hakim, kilim, meme, midstream, Nîmes, régime, scheme, scream, seam, seem, stream, supreme, team, teem, theme, upstream Definition of steam in US English: steamnounstēmstim 1The vapor into which water is converted when heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air. Example sentencesExamples - You may also notice clouds of steam magically rising from out of the ground around the city and wonder what is going on.
- Three or four clapped-out old busses grouped in the darkness, clouds of steam, people standing about waiting to be told where to go, what to do.
- Then the snow and rain turned to steam on the heated road surfaces, this steam floated off like fog, which caused several car accidents.
- He came out of the bathroom a few minutes after trailing steam and heated droplets of water.
- Liquid ammonia is heated with water drawn from near the surface of the ocean and converted into steam.
- He carefully poured some of the flask's contents into a cup from which rose a thin column of white steam.
- By forcing water down into the rocks, the heated water would produce steam which in turn could be used to drive power generating turbines.
- Matt moved to the front of the car and picked up the hood to unleash another huge cloud of white steam.
- I watched the white steam rising with the shadow of itself following.
- Internal combustion engined vehicles were converted to run on steam or gas and had contraptions attached that made them look more akin to vehicles in Star Wars.
- So the cameras would gingerly peer through the steam and mist to reveal eleven fit, young men romping around in the soapy waters of a huge bath.
- Wisps of light purple steam rise from the heated water contained in stylish vessels around the Aromatherapy Health Resort inside the City Hotel.
- If spots seem dried on, boil water in a glass cup a few minutes; steam should loosen soil.
- Without warning a cloud of white steam poured forth from the rock wall in front of her, and she lost her footing momentarily.
- Your first day driving around Iceland you spend most of your time pointing out to whoever you are with every cloud of steam rising from the side of the road.
- She wiped steam from the mirror and ran a comb through her hair.
- We walked through a yak herder's camp where great black beasts snorted columns of white steam.
- But every one or two minutes, the placid water erupts in an explosion of mud, followed by a plume of white steam.
- I walked up to it and I saw white steam being sucked under the door.
- They should not be clouded by steam, frost, water droplets or tarnished by cracks or scratches.
Synonyms water vapour, condensation, mist, haze, fog, exhalation, moisture, dampness - 1.1 The invisible gaseous form of water, formed by boiling, from which vapor condenses.
Example sentencesExamples - Even better would be a location close to an existing manufacturing site that offers excess steam or electric power as a byproduct.
- The water is recycled and reused, but it is still a very costly method of extraction because it takes a lot of natural gas to create steam.
- Since Einstein we have known that energy and matter are two forms of the same thing, as steam and ice are two forms of water.
- Touted by some as water's purest form, distilled water is produced by condensing steam from boiled water back into its liquid state.
- If you were the steam of a boiling pot of water and you hit the wall, the wall would be so cool that you would quickly become a liquid.
- He also noted how much heat was needed to turn ice into cold water, or boiling water into steam: the phenomenon of latent heat.
- Both gauges burst and there was a mass of steam and boiling water.
- The steam then cools and condenses to form purified water.
- When steam and later compressed air were available for drilling the holes and dressing the quarry blocks, the use of granite proliferated.
- So now they're powering their mill for nothing, selling off the surplus energy to the grid, and condensing the steam to make hot water they can pipe into the locals' homes.
- York grabbed the cup with a shaky hand, popping the plastic top off, condensed steam on the inside edge before it all wafted out into York's face.
- This energy (as heat) is released when the steam condenses to water and the water cools to the temperature of skin.
- The German habit of experimenting came to the fore even at such a time, and there were many detail variations as well as major ones, such as condensing the exhaust steam.
- The intense steam of the shower condensed on the glass door of the stall, only the outline of her body visible, as Ethan stepped in to the bathroom.
- Iron also reacts with very hot water and steam to produce hydrogen gas and with most acids and a number of other elements.
- This signals something called a phase transition, like when steam cools and condenses into water.
- The steam from a boiling pot emits smells of paprika and spices that wash over the kitchen's somewhat acrid, greasy-spoon aroma.
- For example, when you boil water, it takes the gaseous form of steam, but this gas doesn't react with oxygen in the air.
- This heat can be used to boil water, producing steam to run a turbine that turns an electric generator.
- Natural gas, boiling water, and steam will heat the wood effectively and allow the cooper to bend the staves without the creation of blisters on the inside of the staves.
- 1.2 The expansive force of steam used as a source of power for machines.
the equipment was originally powered by steam as modifier a steam train Example sentencesExamples - Crowds billowed on to East Lancashire Railway platforms where two newly refurbished steam machines were wheeled out for all to see.
- The canal-side steam powered the weaving mill, in Clitheroe Road, which was built before 1879 and added to in 1891 and 1910.
- They can be cut and burnt to produce steam to power turbines.
- Initially, I was disappointed to discover that today's PoW is kitted out more modestly and powered not by steam but by diesel.
- The Industrial Revolution was powered by steam and coal - not oil.
- Murrays' Mills in Ancoats are 200 years old and were among the first buildings in the world to use steam to power machines.
- With the arrival of steam as a power source, doctors could treat hysteria in the office using new devices developed for this purpose.
- The pressure from this steam forced the piston upward once it was high enough to counteract the weight and atmospheric pressure on the cylinder.
- There are no boilers, no engine and no remains of auxiliary machinery or steam pipes, just a big gap in the middle of the wreck left by some long-forgotten salvage company.
- Off this is a well appointed en suite bathroom which is fully tiled in white and fitted with a bidet, wash hand basin, and a power shower cubicle with steam room facility.
- Kew is home not only to some great steam machines but is also an interactive paradise for kids, 11 am to 5pm daily.
- In gradually substituting steam for stream power in their manufactures, they lessened the impact of drought or flood.
- In these cases, well operators sometime use a steam drive, or continuous steam injection, to force the oil out.
- He entered the navy a midshipman in the era of cannon balls and oak hulls powered by sail, and retired as admiral of a fleet of steel, powered by steam, that fired huge shells thousands of yards.
- Applying pressure to the garment The pressure comes from the head of the pressing machine, while steam is diffused through the bottom.
- Other industrial archaeological sites include nineteenth-century steam machinery and vacuum pans, as well as the rum distilleries.
- The most important category is the generation of electric power from geothermal steam.
- The heat and exhaust gases are captured and utilized to provide electrical power and steam for laundry facilities.
- Nuclear power plants used enriched uranium as fuel to make steam to turn turbines which generate electricity.
- Use immersion blender or cappuccino machine steam attachment to froth carrot foam mixture.
- 1.3 Locomotives and railroad systems powered by steam.
Example sentencesExamples - For generations, its very name has conjured up the glory days of Britain's railways when steam was king and every town had a station.
- 1.4 Energy and momentum or impetus.
the anticorruption drive gathered steam Example sentencesExamples - However, the signals emanating from high-level briefings make it clear that a head of steam is once more building in Washington towards more drastic action.
- So any proposal involving Primakov is potentially tainted before it even gets a full head of steam.
- The gloom lifted as quickly as it came this year, when prices for some prime properties soared by 40 per cent as the Hong Kong economy gathered steam.
- Some of the heat and pressure will be taken off if the multi-billion dollar push to rebuild and extend Australia's rail networks gets up a decent head of steam.
- Hence I hit the mike with a full head of steam, overcharged and full of momentum.
- Once the campaign gathered steam, the Trust had to take an interest in the matter, and found that its first lines of defence were inadequate to it.
- In five minutes flat even the grumpiest kid there was bent over in a fit of laughter, as the parade of the looniest gestures imaginable gathered steam.
- Already the no side has developed a significant head of steam with multiple and well-publicised launches and high-profile figures involved.
- I'm hoping he has a rhetorical head of steam coming into this debate.
- And your ideological compatriots in the media might not be able to get up much of a head of steam banging the table for a bunch of hot dog magnates.
- As it gathered steam, I was greatly impressed with several moments, but a corny line or an awkward coincidence was always around the bend.
- Unquestionably, Dean already has a full head of steam.
- Hundreds of flights to and from the midwestern and northeastern United States were cancelled on Saturday and road traffic slowed to a crawl as the storm gathered steam.
- A campaign to get more bank holidays is gaining a head of steam.
- But they really started to get up a head of steam when the United Nations started to take credit for the work that the American military was doing.
- We had beaten them already and they were after building up a head of steam through the qualifiers.
- The movement for reparations from countries engaged in the African slave trade is building up a head of steam.
- Even tax hikes in the budget are unlikely to choke off the current market's head of steam, Britain's biggest building society predicted on Friday.
- One of their big players got up a head of steam and charged at me.
- Delegates were sceptical because they had seen the head of steam built up through strike action last year allowed to seep away.
Synonyms energy, vigour, vigorousness, vitality, stamina, enthusiasm
verbstēmstim 1no object Give off or produce steam. a mug of coffee was steaming at her elbow Example sentencesExamples - Well, I still have a cough, though it's much diminished, yielding ground day by day to a steady trickle of hot rum toddies served steaming at appropriate times.
- As I type, an angry thunderstorm is rolling across the skies and the rain is lashing down onto the scorched pavements; now gently steaming.
- And on September 24, kettles will be steaming away as the World Biggest Coffee Morning rolls into action.
- The coffee steamed and I flopped out on my bunk, keeping a careful eye on the clock.
- Her mother paid the bill and Ekat grabbed the tea, which was still steaming gently.
- Caleb's computer was on and his coffee cup was steaming but he wasn't in sight.
- Adam jerked his thumb over to the stove where the coffee pot was steaming on the hot plate.
- You'll get delicate, herb-infused fish steamed gently in their own juices.
- Ruth loved the smell of the rainwater steaming off the asphalt; that sensation, more than any other, defined summer.
- As the sun pushes over the ridge, the earth steams.
- The coffee cup still steamed, though it had sat empty for the best part of the last half hour.
- Because of a storm the previous day, the ground was literally steaming.
- If a pipe breaks, the 500 degree water would blow off as steam, tearing off plant insulation and coatings.
- Listeners ought to hear the sleigh bells ring, see the vivid red of the velvet dress and smell the spicy potpourri steaming on the stove.
- Nearby, the Huka Falls are gushing forth, the sulphurous earth steams eerily and sludgy geysers are grumbling and occasionally completely losing their cool.
- As my train arrived, the monsoon abruptly stopped, the sun came out, leaving me gently steaming on platform five at Reading.
- When I throw a switch it steams dangerously and coffee drizzles from many unpredictable valves.
- The cutlets are great, so is the chutney, though the ‘masala dosas’ might not be as steaming as you would like.
- They were quickly served and tasted best when still steaming.
- 1.1steam up" or "steam something up Become or cause something to become covered or misted over with steam.
the glass keeps steaming up with object the warm air had begun to steam up the windows Example sentencesExamples - When she cooked rabbit stew, or a lovely jam roly-poly in iron pots, the windows steamed up while I turned the fan for the open fire.
- Then he returned home to find his Sandringham Street shop windows steamed up, water coming through the ceiling and stock floating across the floor.
- Last night I went in and picked up some books and the windows were all steamed up.
- We would neck in the car until the windows were steamed up with our passion.
- Seafood addicts crowd around the bar, and if enough people order chowder or the grilled lobster (split in half, over lava coals), the big storefront windows steam up a little.
- I know that the water is in a pan, that the hob the pan is on is green, and that steam from the pan is steaming up the kitchen windows.
- He had been patrolling at the far end of one of the Council car parks when he came across a camper van with the windows completely steamed up.
- The windows were steamed up and Mr Palmer was inside.
- His face was covered by a see-through plastic, which steamed up with his breath every twenty seconds or so, and his eyes might flutter open, or his face contort into another horrible position.
- Early technical hitches were quickly overcome to deliver a block rockin’ set for the crowd who loved every minute of it - the windows were steamed up good.
- The windows are steamed up, streaming the condensed exhaled breath of all and sundry, including the alcoholic who's presently drooling on your new coat.
- There could be too much damp in the car, so when the interior heats up the water that has leaked in begins to evaporate and, as fast as the heater tries to demist it, the windscreen steams up again.
- ‘I thought it was suspicious that the back windows were all steamed up even though it was a cool evening,’ Mr Rauscher explained.
- She tried the other out of curiosity, and was amazed when hot water surged out, beginning to steam up the room immediately.
- As we were sitting on the couch reading, we noticed the windows were steaming up.
- I can't keep my crash helmet's visor down while driving, because it steams up as soon as I exhale, and I have a 25-minute journey to work.
- However, on a rainy Monday morning, the windows are steaming up thanks to John Charles's constant queue of damp customers.
- Mr Lips looked at my distorted alien face through my mask, which was beginning to steam up, and looked a little concerned.
- Mohsen looks like a Lebanese workmen's cafe, its windows permanently steamed up and blotched with notices and stickers.
- And peaking just over the tops of the tin roofs, you can see two double-decker buses, their windows steamed up and their occupants bundled up in huge padded anoraks.
Synonyms mist, mist up, fog, fog up, become misted, become misty, become covered with condensation
2with object Cook (food) by heating it in steam from boiling water. steam the vegetables until just tender Example sentencesExamples - The recipe has you steam carrots and zucchini in sticks, and layer them with a batter made of fresh goat cheese, eggs and faisselle.
- Besides the icing cakes, the bakers have steamed a plum pudding that may well rock the regular variety.
- While steaming the rice, sauté some garlic, onions and green peppers in a teaspoon of olive oil for five minutes.
- Make sure there's enough water in the pot to steam the meat and fish, so if it's looking a bit dry, add some more boiling water.
- Place the dumplings on the prepared steaming rack and steam the dumplings until the skins are soft, about 15 minutes.
- I boiled the winkles and steamed the potatoes as quickly as I could.
- Prepare a hot steamer basket and steam the pork until tender, about three hours.
- Rubel burns a fire down to embers and braises vegetables, simmers spelt, roasts fish, and even steams a chocolate cake, all at his fireplace.
- To steam food, it is held over boiling liquid and the heat is transmitted by water vapour surrounding the food, and condensing on it.
- Remove the plastic wrap and steam the bread until cooked.
- In a school context this stir fry should be re-producible either in a series of large pans or by blanching or steaming the vegetables very briefly and then warming them through in the oven.
- After explanation of the fish come general hints on how to cook fish, from deep frying, steaming, broiling and cooking it in butter.
- Steam the ingredients for twenty minutes, then serve.
- Add the cabbage and stir-fry it for five or six minutes, splashing in 3 tbsp water to help steam the cabbage, until it is tender.
- Sometimes we choose to steam our vegetables, sauté them in some olive oil or mix them with our salad greens.
- Just brown the pasta in oil first, add broth and cook until the pasta is tender, then steam some seafood quickly on top.
- Preparation and cooking: Use young leaves in salads; steam or braise mature leaves.
- You can steam carrots anyway you like - just add more cooking time for larger pieces.
- To cook raw chestnuts, you can either roast, steam, or boil them - or throw them in a rice cooker like I did this time around.
- 2.1no object (of food) cook by being heated in steam from boiling water.
add the mussels and leave them to steam Example sentencesExamples - The staple food, boiled or steamed, is served with a sauce of leaves, flavored with dried fish or shellfish, and vegetables.
- Freshly cooked mekitsa steamed on our plates and a delicious aroma drifted up from the freshly brewed coffee.
- But wood-fired ovens go far beyond bread, and are capable of roasting, broiling, steaming or braising.
- Preserved soya bean steamed with cured meat is delicious and very salty as well.
- The tipang, a pork leg first steamed then cooked in the wok with delicious sauce and spices, is irresistible.
- A note on the menu invites diners to consider the advice of servers in deciding whether to order their dish steamed, grilled or fried.
- Grilling, steaming or microwaving food rather than frying or roasting means less fat is added during cooking.
- There is not a human being in sight but food still steams on a cooker inviting the hungry parents with its aromas.
- On a few food-vendor's stalls the bamboo baskets of buns still steamed and the tables in the houses were set.
- In the centre is a small mound of saffron palau (basmati rice steamed with saffron).
- I also had a local specialty for lunch - white roses are prawn meat steamed inside wonton wrappers.
- Protected in its nest of agave leaves, the meat would steam away for hours before carefully being dug from the pit.
- The Dum ki Kumbh, stir-fried button mushrooms steam cooked in a traditional Kashmiri gravy.
- If you want the greatest nutritional value from your corn, how should you eat it: raw, quickly steamed or thoroughly cooked?
- This is the time to experiment with some of those new veggie recipes you've been cutting out of magazines, or just enjoy the vegetables steamed with some herbs and a little butter or olive oil.
- With the flavours intensifying as the food simultaneously steams and roasts, and no juices lost or boiled away, the end result is bags of flavour (sorry).
- With practice, one may sauté, bake, steam, braise, simmer, or sear just about anything.
- Yellow rice wine, pork meat steamed on lotus leaves, eight ingredients cake and zongzi are the specialities of Xitang and you can taste them in all the restaurants in the town.
- Peel the potatoes and lay them on top of the casserole, so they will steam while the stew cooks.
- By cooked I mean steamed, baked or lightly sautéed, not fried.
- 2.2 Clean or otherwise treat with steam.
he steamed his shirts in the bathroom to remove the wrinkles Example sentencesExamples - My ex-brother-in-law worked in a western wear store and had his hats cleaned and creased by a fellow who steamed the headgear and shaped the brim along the curves of his own beer belly.
- It may help to steam clean carpeting at least once a year.
- We put in new mahogany faces on the bar counters, re-varnished the tables, steam cleaned the carpets, had the chairs recovered and put in new curtains.
- 2.3with object and complement or adverbial Apply steam to (something fixed with adhesive) so as to open or loosen it.
he'd steamed the letter open and then resealed it Example sentencesExamples - Carefully, in case she found that she needed to reseal it, she steamed the envelope open and peeled away the fold.
- He went to the kitchen and boiled water, then took the letter and steamed the envelope open so as not to damage it.
- You can get to know them even better if you steam the letters open first.
- Detectives shadowed him on board a transatlantic liner, and during his stay in New York even steamed open his post at his hotel.
- I remember hearing that if you hold a sealed envelope over steam it opens it up so you can be all spy like and open it without harming the parcel.
- He took it back to his house, and steamed open all of the bills, letters, Social Security checks and anything else of interest.
3no object, with adverbial of direction (of a ship or train) travel somewhere under steam power. the 11:54 steamed into the station Example sentencesExamples - During almost ten years in commission, the ship has steamed nearly 110,000 miles and visited 81 ports in 14 countries.
- On 7 February, a train steamed into Leningrad after having passed through the corridor and crossed the Neva on track laid over the ice.
- The ship is currently steaming from San Lorenzo, northwest of Buenos Aires in Argentina, after leaving the port on March 27.
- West of Hawaii, the ship steamed through a ferocious north Pacific storm.
- The ship held two memorial services, one at dawn in Seychelles harbour and one at sunset as the ship steamed on the journey home from distinguished service in Operations Slipper and Falconer.
- The full majesty of the vehicle can best be viewed from elsewhere - take advantage of this when you get off at any of the stops and look around for the trains steaming through the countryside.
- The following vessels steamed into a group of trawlers which had not been told of the evening's movements.
- Long shots of Commodore Jackson's boat steaming along the river provide a sense of spaciousness and leisure.
- It was noon next day when he stood on the platform, the train breathing steam alongside like an impatient dragon or an old scholar puffing poppy heads.
- Since leaving the UK at the beginning of the year, the ship has steamed 42,000 miles, discharged 60,000 tonnes of oil, and refuelled ships 95 times.
- Again they radioed for it to pull up, but the ship steamed on.
- Families and guests enjoyed the views of Sydney harbour and coastline as the ship steamed for Broken Bay, positioning at the starting line off Barrenjoey Head.
- As the two 18, 500-tonne assault ships steamed around the Channel, Albion's sponsor, the Princess Royal, visited the vessel for the first time at sea.
- US, Japanese and Australian naval ships are steaming toward the area with on-board hospitals and water desalination plants.
- All boats steamed ashore for shelter as the winds and sea caused havoc along the coast.
- A train steams deep into the mountainside giving tourists a closer look at huge stalactites and stalagmites.
- In the dark of night, a 150-foot yacht packed to the gunwales with explosives slowly steams toward Naval Station Norfolk.
- As the sun rose, we could make out the near vertical cliffs rising out of the ocean and the ship steaming right between them.
- The landing ship has steamed more than 24,000 miles during her deployment.
- Since the first trains steamed out of Oxenhope in 1978, Angela, 66, of Bingley, has worked on every one of the four trips a year.
- 3.1informal Come, go, or move somewhere rapidly or in a forceful way.
Jerry steamed in ten minutes late figurative the company has steamed ahead with its investment program Example sentencesExamples - Moves are steaming ahead to honour an Atherton-born boffin whose vision of a high speed hovertrain was dismissed.
- The new chairman is steaming ahead on a huge sea of goodwill from the supporters.
- He said this week that the project is steaming ahead, with building work hoped to start next year.
- Bury's East Lancashire Railway has been given the green light to steam ahead with plans to renovate the town's historic Bury Transport Museum.
- The second half saw a change of pace as the Rosenallis / Clonaslee lads piled on the pressure and started to dominate the game which saw them steam ahead.
- But having been here for a considerable length of time, it has struck me that as Shanghai steams ahead in the new millennium, it still remains inextricably linked with its near-forgotten past.
- They steam implacably ahead while the rest of us flail about in a sea of moral relativism and get nothing but mental cramp for our trouble.
- The Council and developer are already steaming ahead and preparing the £20 million Connecting the City scheme.
- Now the Forster Square Development Partnership is set to steam ahead with the city-centre project which already has planning consent.
- It is an approach that gains steam as the movie moves forward and gives the film's climax a powerful sense of the inevitable.
- Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half the Clonaslee lads steamed ahead as they broke through the Belmont defence and dominated the game.
- That is not a recipe for re-electing an incumbent who took responsibility for the now-slowing recovery when it was steaming ahead.
- Work is expected to steam ahead in October on a £3 million centre in ‘forgotten’ Horton Grange.
- This manga-based masterpiece steams ahead on so many levels and with so much depth, detail and mind-bending imagery that your brain barely has time to catch up with itself.
- So, finally and belatedly, the idea that is creeping up is that of a two-speed Europe, in which a hard core of integrationist states steams ahead in the direction of a United States of Europe.
- An appeal launched by the National Railway Museum to save locomotive Flying Scotsman for the nation is steaming ahead, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.
- A project to recreate a piece of Bolton's industrial heritage is steaming ahead thanks to a 5,000 donation.
- The latest jobs report shows that the economy is steaming ahead.
- The application for the amendments is a milestone in the progress of the scheme because it is one of the last pieces in the jigsaw before things can steam ahead.
- The home side however steamed ahead from early on with a good cross in from Michael Clowry which was finished in style by Cathal O'Brien.
Synonyms sprint, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hare, bolt, bound, fly, gallop, career, charge, pound, shoot, hurtle, speed, streak, whizz, zoom, sweep, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind, flash, double run, sprint, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hare, bolt, bound, fly, gallop, pound, shoot, hurtle, speed, streak, whizz, zoom, sweep, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind, flash, double - 3.2steam inBritish informal no object Start or join a fight.
- 3.3often as noun steaminginformal no object (of a gang of thieves) move rapidly through a public place, stealing things or robbing people on the way.
- 3.4with object Operate (a steam locomotive).
Example sentencesExamples - Myth and symbol, however, attach less readily to an elemental melange: it is an iron horse that steamed its way across the American plain, the iron fist that represents a display of might.
4often be/get steamed upinformal Be or become extremely agitated or angry. you got all steamed up over nothing! after steaming behind the closed door in his office, he came out and screamed at her Synonyms become agitated, get worked up, get overwrought, get flustered, panic, become panic-stricken become very angry, become enraged, go into a rage, lose one's temper
Phrases have steam coming out of one's ears informal Be extremely angry or irritated. Example sentencesExamples - New York's electoral votes are all going to go to Kerry whether New Yorkers have steam coming out of their ears or are lounging around watching sports and laughing and drinking.
- My face's so hot, if I were a cartoon, I'd have steam coming out of my ears.
- Like his colleagues around the table at Macleans College, he practically has steam coming out of his ears.
- Earlier for the sake of simplicity I told a little fib, and some of you have steam coming out of your ears by now because this fib is driving you crazy.
- Stacy looked as if she could have steam coming out of her ears.
- He had steam coming out of his ears as things were slipping out of control.
- And, if he wanted to make the back row even hungrier than usual, he has achieved it superbly because Alex has steam coming out of his ears.
- On badly depressing days I could walk around with a black cloud over my head, if I was feeling stressed I could have steam coming out of my ears.
(of a steam locomotive) ready for work, with steam in the boiler. Example sentencesExamples - The heritage railway, which runs from Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse, will have five Swindon-built locomotives in steam on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Machine power, manifested in steam, internal combustion, and jet engines, provides strategic and tactical mobility and logistic lift to armed forces.
informal (of a person) get rid of pent-up energy or strong emotion. Example sentencesExamples - That was a raucous blast of rock energy, Adams letting off steam.
- I needed something to help them blow off steam and energy.
- Surprisingly the defence that this is war, or that our enemies do worse, hasn't been made as loudly made as when troops tortured prisoners to let off steam.
- But she just didn't understand why she couldn't run around and let off steam with the other dogs.
- But many voters see the referendum as a chance to let off steam over what they regard as the government's economic policy failures.
- We've danced to let off steam, to express ourselves and get rid of excess energy, we've danced to attract a partner and for religious reasons.
- If your child is bursting with energy, let him run around to let off steam before moving on to more calming activities.
- Caroline, who is a part-time support worker for Young Carers, believes children such as Steffanie need a weekly outlet to let off steam and be children.
- Sometimes I think the only thing they achieve is that people can let off steam.
- Playing does much more than just help kids let off steam, according to City of York Council, which has launched an initiative to get more youngsters enjoying themselves.
Synonyms give vent to one's feelings, speak one's mind, sound off, lose one's inhibitions, let oneself go
informal Lose impetus or enthusiasm. a rebellion that had run out of steam Example sentencesExamples - There is no sign yet of the inexorable rise in property prices running out of steam… and according to market experts fears that the bubble will burst are unfounded.
- The two very sexy stars provide enough chemistry in this stylized thriller but the movie runs out of steam halfway through.
- However, better to have such a change on the radar screens, say the bulls, than deepening doubts that the US and global recovery were running out of steam.
- The McCartney campaign is gently running out of steam now, not because the need to find the killer is any less urgent, but simply because the elections are over and the media is getting bored with it.
- Sandy Neilson's production, enthusiastically performed by the resident company, strikes an appropriate, rollicking tone but gradually runs out of steam.
- In following years protests continued but the peace movement (both locally and internationally) seems to be running out of steam.
- I'd like watch as each argument just runs out of steam, leaving just the prejudice and chauvinism for all to see.
- It is laid back, ambling on its jolly way, and just when it should be gathering momentum it runs out of steam.
- That said, Richard commented that rising interest rates does mean that buying power is already running out of steam at the high end of the market and is more noticeable in certain parts of the country.
- The trend already seems to be running out of steam, due to market oversaturation.
(with reference to travel) without assistance from others. we're going to have to get there under our own steam Example sentencesExamples - Although they came with English-speaking guides, transport and some refreshments, we soon learned it was possible to do the trips under your own steam and at a fraction of the price.
- But I've set off down this road, and I should at least travel some distance under my own steam before deciding to turn back and simply be a passenger on someone else's mystery train.
- All you can do is toast the brave men who power up here under their own steam.
- In Scotland trafficking is still quite rare with most of the sex workers who travel to Britain doing so under their own steam.
- He prefers to travel under his own steam, free of deadlines and the constriction of a commission.
- ‘These delegates often travel under their own steam and bring a partner so are therefore likely to stay on for an extra weekend,’ a spokesman for VisitScotland said.
- The seamen were carried bodily back across the moor although some of them could walk under their own steam.
- Here, unlike in England and Wales, the public have rights of access to any waterway - be it under your own steam or as part of an organised event.
- Cut down on car use: use public transport or even travel under your own steam where possible!
- If you are travelling under your own steam to a dive site in the same country, a large bag that takes everything, with an extending handle and a set of wheels so that you can move it, is probably the answer.
Synonyms unaided, unassisted, without help, without assistance, independently, by oneself, by one's own efforts, on one's own two feet
(of a machine) being operated by steam. Example sentencesExamples - He and Mr Stevenson were on the last train pulled by Flying Scotsman under steam on May 4, 1968.
- The MFV Reaper the flag ship of the Scottish Fisheries Museum made the trip from the Arbroath boat building yard of MacKay's in blustery conditions under steam of a new engine fitted as part of the £120,000 six-month overhaul.
- It was scrapped July 1953, and was probably the last T - 1 under steam.
- As always, the dredge took an age to reach the seafloor and, after the usual several hours of towing under steam, yet another age before it reached the surface again, finally arriving back at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
- That's experienced railroading, You got the hostler to bring around something that was under steam and couple her up behind the diesel.
- The King, which last operated under steam about 1946, came close to destruction several times until it was converted to a floating hotel here.
- The Prince Consort beam engine at the Grade II listed Crossness Pumping House will be under steam during an open day in Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, this Sunday between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm.
pick up (or get up) steam 1Generate enough pressure to drive a steam engine. 2(of a project in its early stages) gradually gain more impetus and driving force. his campaign steadily picked up steam Example sentencesExamples - The experience of the past year has forced the company to reorient its strategy, including a few steps in reverse, in order to pick up steam.
- Television star Thompson entered the race later than the other candidates and has yet to pick up the steam on the campaign.
Origin Old English stēam ‘vapor’, stēman ‘emit a scent, be exhaled’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stoom ‘steam’. |