water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere
"The hot shower filled the small bathroom with steam, making it difficult to see anything clearly."
The vapor formed when water changes from liquid phase to gas phase.
"The researchers decided to call their new imaging technique STEAM because it stands for Serial Time-Encoded Amplified Microscopy."
Initialism of serial time-encoded amplified microscopy.
In plain English: Steam is invisible water vapor that you can see when hot liquid turns into gas and rises into the air.
"The pot of boiling water released a cloud of steam that filled the kitchen."
rise as vapor
"Steam rose from the hot pavement as the morning sun began to warm the city streets."
To cook with steam.
"We decided to steam the broccoli so it would stay crisp and bright green."
In plain English: To steam something means to cook it by heating water until it turns into hot vapor that surrounds the food.
"We let the vegetables steam for ten minutes until they were tender."
Old-fashioned; from before the digital age.
"The old man insisted on buying a steam engine toy rather than a modern battery-powered car, saying nothing could replace the charm of these antique machines."
"The steam engine chugged down the tracks with great power."
Usage: Use this adjective to describe something that feels exciting, intense, or full of energy in an old-fashioned way. It is often found in phrases like "a steamy romance novel," where it implies passion rather than literal heat or moisture.
The word "steam" comes from Old English stēam, which originally meant hot breath or vapor. It traces its roots back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to whirl, waft, or shake.