蒸気
Meaning in Englishsteam, vapor
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Word context
What it means
蒸気 means steam, the gaseous state of water produced when liquid water is heated; it describes the moist, invisible vapor as well as the visible cloud that rises from boiling water, and is used across science, industry, and cooking to denote this form of water.
Main meanings
- Water vapor produced by heating water
- Working fluid in steam engines, boilers, and turbines
- Cooking method involving steam to heat food
How to use it
Used in formal and technical contexts, especially science, engineering, and culinary instructions. In compounds it appears in terms like 蒸気機関, 蒸気船, and 蒸気調理; in casual speech it occurs mainly in educational or media contexts when discussing steam or steam-powered devices.
Variants and close terms
- 水蒸気 (すいじょうき) water vapor
- 熱蒸気 (ねつじょうき) hot steam
- 高圧蒸気 (こうあつじょうき) high-pressure steam
Composition
- 蒸: to steam, heat with moisture
- 気: air, gas; vapor
Etymology
蒸 means to steam, heat with moisture; 気 means air, vapor. The word's pronunciation in Japanese is jōki, a Sino-Japanese on'yomi derived from Chinese zhēng qì.
Origin
Meiji period (late 19th century) introduction into technical vocabulary as steam technology spread; used in compounds naming steam machinery.
Word class
Noun (名詞)