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steammore about steam

steam


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Steam  \Steam\,  n.  [OE.  stem,  steem,  vapor,  flame,  AS  ste['a]m 
  vapor,  smoke,  odor;  akin  to  D.  stoom  steam,  perhaps 
  originally,  a  pillar,  or  something  rising  like  a  pillar;  cf 
  Gr  ?  to  erect,  ?  a  pillar,  and  E.  stand.] 
  1.  The  elastic,  a["e]riform  fluid  into  which  water  is 
  converted  when  heated  to  the  boiling  points;  water  in  the 
  state  of  vapor. 
 
  2.  The  mist  formed  by  condensed  vapor;  visible  vapor;  --  so 
  called  in  popular  usage. 
 
  3.  Any  exhalation.  ``A  steam  og  rich,  distilled  perfumes.'' 
  --Milton. 
 
  {Dry  steam},  steam  which  does  not  contain  water  held  in 
  suspension  mechanically;  --  sometimes  applied  to 
  superheated  steam. 
 
  {Exhaust  steam}.  See  under  {Exhaust}. 
 
  {High  steam},  or  {High-pressure  steam},  steam  of  which  the 
  pressure  greatly  exceeds  that  of  the  atmosphere. 
 
  {Low  steam},  or  {Low-pressure  steam},  steam  of  which  the 
  pressure  is  less  than  equal  to  or  not  greatly  above, 
  that  of  the  atmosphere. 
 
  {Saturated  steam},  steam  at  the  temperature  of  the  boiling 
  point  which  corresponds  to  its  pressure;  --  sometimes  also 
  applied  to  {wet  steam}. 
 
  {Superheated  steam},  steam  heated  to  a  temperature  higher 
  than  the  boiling  point  corresponding  to  its  pressure.  It 
  can  not  exist  in  contact  with  water,  nor  contain  water, 
  and  resembles  a  perfect  gas;  --  called  also  {surcharged 
  steam},  {anhydrous  steam},  and  {steam  gas}. 
 
  {Wet  steam},  steam  which  contains  water  held  in  suspension 
  mechanically;  --  called  also  {misty  steam}. 
 
  Note:  Steam  is  often  used  adjectively,  and  in  combination,  to 
  denote,  produced  by  heat,  or  operated  by  power,  derived 
  from  steam,  in  distinction  from  other  sources  of  power; 
  as  in  steam  boiler  or  steam-boiler,  steam  dredger  or 
  steam-dredger,  steam  engine  or  steam-engine,  steam 
  heat,  steam  plow  or  steam-plow,  etc 
 
  {Steam  blower}. 
  a  A  blower  for  producing  a  draught  consisting  of  a  jet 
  or  jets  of  steam  in  a  chimney  or  under  a  fire. 
  b  A  fan  blower  driven  directly  by  a  steam  engine. 
 
  {Steam  boiler},  a  boiler  for  producing  steam.  See  {Boiler}, 
  3,  and  Note.  In  the  illustration,  the  shell  a  of  the 
  boiler  is  partly  in  section,  showing  the  tubes,  or  flues, 
  which  the  hot  gases,  from  the  fire  beneath  the  boiler, 
  enter  after  traversing  the  outside  of  the  shell,  and 
  through  which  the  gases  are  led  to  the  smoke  pipe  d,  which 
  delivers  them  to  the  chimney;  b  is  the  manhole;  c  the 
  dome;  e  the  steam  pipe;  f  the  feed  and  blow-off  pipe;  g 
  the  safety  value;  hthe  water  gauge. 
 
  {Steam  car},  a  car  driven  by  steam  power,  or  drawn  by  a 
  locomotive. 
 
  {Steam  carriage},  a  carriage  upon  wheels  moved  on  common 
  roads  by  steam. 
 
  {Steam  casing}.  See  {Steam  jacket},  under  {Jacket}. 
 
  {Steam  chest},  the  box  or  chamber  from  which  steam  is 
  distributed  to  the  cylinder  of  a  steam  engine,  steam  pump, 
  etc.,  and  which  usually  contains  one  or  more  values;  -- 
  called  also  {valve  chest},  and  {valve  box}.  See  Illust.  of 
  {Slide  valve},  under  {Slide}. 
 
  {Steam  chimney},  an  annular  chamber  around  the  chimney  of  a 
  boiler  furnace,  for  drying  steam. 
 
  {Steam  coil},  a  coil  of  pipe,  or  collection  of  connected 
  pipes,  for  containing  steam;  --  used  for  heating,  drying, 
  etc 
 
  {Steam  colors}  (Calico  Printing),  colors  in  which  the 
  chemical  reaction  fixed  the  coloring  matter  in  the  fiber 
  is  produced  by  steam. 
 
  {Steam  cylinder},  the  cylinder  of  a  steam  engine,  which 
  contains  the  piston.  See  Illust.  of  {Slide  valve},  under 
  {Slide}. 
 
  {Steam  dome}  (Steam  Boilers),  a  chamber  upon  the  top  of  the 
  boiler,  from  which  steam  is  conduced  to  the  engine.  See 
  Illust.  of  Steam  boiler,  above. 
 
  {Steam  fire  engine},  a  fire  engine  consisting  of  a  steam 
  boiler  and  engine,  and  pump  which  is  driven  by  the  engine, 
  combined  and  mounted  on  wheels.  It  is  usually  drawn  by 
  horses,  but  is  sometimes  made  self-propelling. 
 
  {Steam  fitter},  a  fitter  of  steam  pipes. 
 
  {Steam  fitting},  the  act  or  the  occupation  of  a  steam  fitter; 
  also  a  pipe  fitting  for  steam  pipes. 
 
  {Steam  gas}.  See  {Superheated  steam},  above. 
 
  {Steam  gauge},  an  instrument  for  indicating  the  pressure  of 
  the  steam  in  a  boiler.  The  {mercurial  steam  gauge}  is  a 
  bent  tube  partially  filled  with  mercury,  one  end  of  which 
  is  connected  with  the  boiler  while  the  other  is  open  to 
  the  air,  so  that  the  steam  by  its  pressure  raises  the 
  mercury  in  the  long  limb  of  the  tume  to  a  height 
  proportioned  to  that  pressure.  A  more  common  form 
  especially  for  high  pressures,  consists  of  a  spring 
  pressed  upon  by  the  steam,  and  connected  with  the  pointer 
  of  a  dial.  The  spring  may  be  a  flattened,  bent  tube, 
  closed  at  one  end  which  the  entering  steam  tends  to 
  straighten,  or  it  may  be  a  diaphragm  of  elastic  metal,  or 
  a  mass  of  confined  air,  etc 
 
  {Steam  gun},  a  machine  or  contrivance  from  which  projectiles 
  may  be  thrown  by  the  elastic  force  of  steam. 
 
  {Steam  hammer},  a  hammer  for  forging,  which  is  worked 
  directly  by  steam;  especially,  a  hammer  which  is  guided 
  vertically  and  operated  by  a  vertical  steam  cylinder 
  located  directly  over  an  anvil.  In  the  variety  known  as 
  Nasmyth's,  the  cylinder  is  fixed,  and  the  hammer  is 
  attached  to  the  piston  rod.  In  that  known  as  Condie's,  the 
  piston  is  fixed,  and  the  hammer  attached  to  the  lower  end 
  of  the  cylinder. 
 
  {Steam  heater}. 
  a  A  radiator  heated  by  steam. 
  b  An  apparatus  consisting  of  a  steam  boiler,  radiator, 
  piping,  and  fixures  for  warming  a  house  by  steam. 
 
  {Steam  jacket}.  See  under  {Jacket}. 
 
  {Steam  packet},  a  packet  or  vessel  propelled  by  steam,  and 
  running  periodically  between  certain  ports. 
 
  {Steam  pipe},  any  pipe  for  conveying  steam;  specifically,  a 
  pipe  through  which  steam  is  supplied  to  an  engine. 
 
  {Steam  plow}  or  {plough},  a  plow,  or  gang  of  plows,  moved  by 
  a  steam  engine. 
 
  {Steam  port},  an  opening  for  steam  to  pass  through  as  from 
  the  steam  chest  into  the  cylinder. 
 
  {Steam  power},  the  force  or  energy  of  steam  applied  to 
  produce  results;  power  derived  from  a  steam  engine. 
 
  {Steam  propeller}.  See  {Propeller}. 
 
  {Steam  pump},  a  small  pumping  engine  operated  by  steam.  It  is 
  usually  direct-acting. 
 
  {Steam  room}  (Steam  Boilers),  the  space  in  the  boiler  above 
  the  water  level,  and  in  the  dome,  which  contains  steam. 
 
  {Steam  table},  a  table  on  which  are  dishes  heated  by  steam 
  for  keeping  food  warm  in  the  carving  room  of  a  hotel, 
  restaurant,  etc 
 
  {Steam  trap},  a  self-acting  device  by  means  of  which  water 
  that  accumulates  in  a  pipe  or  vessel  containing  steam  will 
  be  discharged  without  permitting  steam  to  escape. 
 
  {Steam  tug},  a  steam  vessel  used  in  towing  or  propelling 
  ships. 
 
  {Steam  vessel},  a  vessel  propelled  by  steam;  a  steamboat  or 
  steamship;  --  a  steamer. 
 
  {Steam  whistle},  an  apparatus  attached  to  a  steam  boiler,  as 
  of  a  locomotive,  through  which  steam  is  rapidly 
  discharged,  producing  a  loud  whistle  which  serves  as  a 
  warning  signal.  The  steam  issues  from  a  narrow  annular 
  orifice  around  the  upper  edge  of  the  lower  cup  or 
  hemisphere,  striking  the  thin  edge  of  the  bell  above  it 
  and  producing  sound  in  the  manner  of  an  organ  pipe  or  a 
  common  whistle. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Steam  \Steam\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  exhale.  [Obs.]  --Spenser. 
 
  2.  To  expose  to  the  action  of  steam;  to  apply  steam  to  for 
  softening,  dressing,  or  preparing;  as  to  steam  wood;  to 
  steamcloth  to  steam  food,  etc 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Steam  \Steam\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Steamed};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Steaming}.] 
  1.  To  emit  steam  or  vapor. 
 
  My  brother's  ghost  hangs  hovering  there  O'er  his 
  warm  blood,  that  steams  into  the  air.  --Dryden. 
 
  Let  the  crude  humors  dance  In  heated  brass,  steaming 
  with  fire  intence.  --J.  Philips. 
 
  2.  To  rise  in  vapor;  to  issue,  or  pass  off  as  vapor. 
 
  The  dissolved  amber  .  .  .  steamed  away  into  the  air. 
  --Boyle. 
 
  3.  To  move  or  travel  by  the  agency  of  steam. 
 
  The  vessel  steamed  out  of  port.  --N.  P. 
  Willis. 
 
  4.  To  generate  steam;  as  the  boiler  steams  well 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  steam 
  n  :  water  at  boiling  temperature  diffused  in  the  atmosphere 
  v  1:  travel  on  a  steamboat;  "The  ship  steamed  off  into  the 
  Pacific" 
  2:  emit  steam;  "The  hot  towels  were  steaming" 
  3:  rise  as  vapor 
  4:  travel  in  a  steamboat 
  5:  clean  by  means  of  steaming  [syn:  {steam  clean}] 
  6:  cook  something  by  letting  steam  pass  over  it  "just  steam 
  the  vegetables" 




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