vapor

noun

va·por | \ ˈvā-pər

Definition of vapor

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : diffused matter (such as smoke or fog) suspended floating in the air and impairing its transparency

2a : a substance in the gaseous state as distinguished from the liquid or solid state

b : a substance (such as gasoline, alcohol, mercury, or benzoin) vaporized for industrial, therapeutic, or military uses also : a mixture (such as the explosive mixture in an internal combustion engine) of such a vapor with air

3a : something unsubstantial or transitory : phantasm

b : a foolish or fanciful idea

4 vapors plural

a archaic : exhalations of bodily organs (such as the stomach) held to affect the physical or mental condition

b : a depressed or hysterical nervous condition

vapor

verb

vapored; vaporing\ ˈvā-p(ə-)riŋ

Definition of vapor (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to rise or pass off in vapor

b : to emit vapor

2 : to indulge in bragging, blustering, or idle talk

Other Words from vapor Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about vapor

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Synonyms for vapor

Synonyms: Verb

blow, boast, brag, bull [slang], crow, gasconade, swagger, vaunt

Did You Know?

Verb

Speakers of the English language, mindful of the lightness and unsubstantiality of floating air and gas, have put several airy words to good use over the years to describe the act of talking idly or boastfully. The earliest such word is blow (as in "he kept blowing about his new job"), which drifted into English sometime about 1400. Vapor wafted into the language in the 1620s, and a little over 200 years later windbags, later also known as gasbags, not only blew and vapored but also gassed about anything they could.

Examples of vapor in a Sentence

Verb

a faded Southern belle tiresomely vaporing about all the handsome beaux she had in her long-ago youth

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

No one seemed to notice or care, plus the vapor smells more like rose than like weed. — Madison Margolin, Quartz, "The next battle in the War on Drugs will be fought over psychedelics," 4 June 2019 The technique—which involves steaming the food gradually via the vapors that build up within the parchment—requires very little extra fat. — Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, "Here's Why You Should Be Using Parchment Paper Instead of Wax Paper," 29 May 2019 Five employees of a Medway company were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Saturday after two chemicals were improperly mixed together, exposing them to vapors, officials said. — Jacob Carozza, BostonGlobe.com, "Employees taken to hospital after chemical accident at Medway industrial facility," 13 May 2018 The system also employs a vapor chamber, five copper heat pipes, and two of Acer's 4th-gen AeroBlade metal fans. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "I could slide the Acer Predator Helios 700's HyperDrift keyboard all day," 12 Apr. 2019 To keep the phone cool during these gaming sessions, Razer added the Blade’s vapor chamber cooling tech (in a smaller form factor) to help dissipate heat. — Stefan Etienne, The Verge, "Razer Phone 2 review: it glows, but it doesn’t shine," 22 Oct. 2018 Inside is a heating element that’s activated by suction—when someone inhales, the mixture is heated and a white cloud of aromatherapy vapor emerges. — Kathryn Tuggle, Good Housekeeping, "The Rise Of The "Personal Diffuser" Stick—Is Essential Oil Vaping Safe?," 19 Sep. 2017 Then, a move had to be made through the claustrophobic sewers, measuring less than a meter-wide toward the bank that could at any time get filled with water or noxious vapors. — Raf Casert, The Seattle Times, "A tunnel, a hole in the floor: Belgium ponders bank heist," 4 Feb. 2019 Water, present as a vapor or even as a liquid in a tire, causes more of a pressure change with temperature swings than dry air does. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Should You Really Put Nitrogen in Your Car Tires?," 19 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But whole body cryotherapy exposes the body for a couple of minutes to vapor that has been supercooled to somewhere between minus 200 and minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. — Aaron E. Carroll, New York Times, "Cold Therapy? Maybe Better Save Your Money," 2 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vapor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.