evaporation

noun

evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌva-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce evaporation (audio)
: the act or process of evaporating:
a
: change from a liquid to a vapor
evaporation of water
But warming increases the evaporation of ocean water, which could increase the snowfall on the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, remove water from the ocean, and lower sea level.Jack M. Hollander
b
: the vanishing or disappearance of something
The pope's attempt to arrest the evaporation of the Christian tradition in Europe was also unsuccessful.Conrad Black
No longer a machine that accelerates the evaporation of resources, in the Roman context the banquet becomes a theatre of wealth and property, of social distinction, or social-climbing.James N. Davidson

Examples of evaporation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Here are some of the ways low ice cover affects the lakes: Lake levels: Low ice cover can also lead to lower lake levels later in the summer as the lakes warm fast, which favors evaporation. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 And to make things worse, the evaporation gets exacerbated when there is more surface area exposed to the sun. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 Some current and former tech workers have taken to social media and online forums to voice their uncertainty about the state of the sector, and the evaporation of the traditionally comfortable tech job. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 On the La Niña side, that could mean more evaporation, more heat and more extreme drought due to warmer conditions. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 This evaporation is overloading the air near the surface with moisture. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2024 Those projects, such as helping local communities use water more efficiently, offset water lost in manufacturing, mostly due to evaporation. Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2024 Cities would lose more than half their water supply to evaporation and soil absorption along its 70-mile journey from the nearest reservoir. Dylan Baddour, WIRED, 27 Jan. 2024 That’s the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled by the evaporation of water into the air at a constant pressure. Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evaporation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evaporation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near evaporation

Cite this Entry

“Evaporation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evaporation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

evaporation

noun
evap·​o·​ra·​tion
i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən
: the process of evaporating

Medical Definition

evaporation

noun
evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce evaporation (audio)
: the change by which any substance is converted from a liquid state into and carried off in vapor
specifically : the conversion of a liquid into vapor in order to remove it wholly or partly from a liquid of higher boiling point or from solids dissolved in or mixed with it
evaporate verb
evaporated; evaporating
evaporator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on evaporation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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