Search the Dictionary

A volcanic area or vent which yields only sulphur vapors, steam, and the like. It represents the stages of the volcanic activity.

ed; once in a while; now and then; sometimes. Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish, A vapor sometime like a bear or lion. Shak.

iffraction, as by a grating. -- Gaseous spectrum, the spectrum of an incandesoent gas or vapor, under moderate, or especially under very low, pressure. It is characterized by bright bands or lines. -- Normal spectrum, a representation of a spectrum arranged upon conventional plan adopted as standard, especially a spe…

omenon due to the repulsive force of heat, the intervention of a cushion of nonconducting vapor, and the cooling effect of evaporation.

Like a spike; spikelike. These spiky, vivid outbursts of metallic vapors. C. A. Young.

Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities. All bodies have spirits . . . within them. Bacon.

Rendered dense or compact, as by evaporation; inspissated; thickened. [R.] The spissated juice of the poppy. Bp. Warburton.

A jet of fine medicated vapor, used either as an application to a diseased part or to charge the air of a room with a disinfectant or a deodorizer.

One that sprays; any instrument for vaporizing and spraying liquids.

a. -- Essence of spruce, a thick, dark-colored, bitterish, and acidulous liquid made by evaporating a decoction of the young branches of spruce. -- Hemlock spruce (Bot.), a graceful coniferous tree (Tsuga Canadensis) of North America. Its timber is valuable, and the bark is largely used in tanning leather. -- Spruce…

Stagnant. [Obs.] "A stagnate mass of vapors." Young.

nless; as, the stagnation of the blood; the stagnation of water or air; the stagnation of vapors.

Vapid or tasteless from age; having lost its life, spirit, and flavor, from being long kept; as, stale beer.

id into which water is converted when heated to the boiling points; water in the state of vapor.

The quality or condition of being steamy; vaporousness; mistness.

Consisting of, or resembling, steam; full of steam; vaporous; misty. Cowper.

oholic liquors; a retort. The name is sometimes applied to the whole apparatus used in in vaporization and condensation.

Unfermented grape juice or wine, often used to raise fermentation in dead or vapid wines; must. Let our wines, without mixture of stum, be all fine. B. Jonson. And with thy stum ferment their fainting cause. Dryden.

To bring by heat into the state of vapor, which, on cooling, returns again to the solid state; as, to sublimate sulphur or camphor.

To pass off in vapor, with immediate condensation; specifically, to evaporate or volatilize from the solid state without apparent melting; -- said of those substances, like arsenic, benzoic acid, etc., which do not exhibit a liquid form on heating, except under increased pressure.