Steam \Steam\ (st[=e]m), n. [OE. stem, steem, vapor, flame, AS.
ste['a]m vapor, smoke, odor; akin to D. stoom steam, perhaps
originally, a pillar, or something rising like a pillar; cf.
Gr. sty`ein to erect, sty^los a pillar, and E. stand.]
1. The elastic, aeriform fluid into which water is converted
when heated to the boiling point; water in the state of
vapor; gaseous water.
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2. The mist formed by condensed vapor; visible vapor; -- so
called in popular usage.
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3. Any exhalation. "A steam of rich, distilled perfumes."
--Milton.
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Dry steam, steam which does not contain water held in
suspension mechanically; -- sometimes applied to
superheated steam.
Exhaust steam. See under Exhaust.
High steam, or High-pressure steam, steam of which the
pressure greatly exceeds that of the atmosphere.
Low steam, or Low-pressure steam, steam of which the
pressure is less than, equal to, or not greatly above,
that of the atmosphere.
Saturated steam, steam at the temperature of the boiling
point which corresponds to its pressure; -- sometimes also
applied to wet steam.
Superheated steam, steam heated to a temperature higher
than the boiling point corresponding to its pressure. It
can not exist in contact with water, nor contain water,
and resembles a perfect gas; -- called also surcharged
steam, anhydrous steam, and steam gas.
Wet steam, steam which contains water held in suspension
mechanically; -- called also misty steam.
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Note: Steam is often used adjectively, and in combination, to
denote, produced by heat, or operated by power, derived
from steam, in distinction from other sources of power;
as in steam boiler or steam-boiler, steam dredger or
steam-dredger, steam engine or steam-engine, steam
heat, steam plow or steam-plow, etc.
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Steam blower.
(a) A blower for producing a draught consisting of a jet
or jets of steam in a chimney or under a fire.
(b) A fan blower driven directly by a steam engine.
Steam boiler, a boiler for producing steam. See Boiler,
3, and Note. In the illustration, the shell a of the
boiler is partly in section, showing the tubes, or flues,
which the hot gases, from the fire beneath the boiler,
enter, after traversing the outside of the shell, and
through which the gases are led to the smoke pipe d, which
delivers them to the chimney; b is the manhole; c the
dome; e the steam pipe; f the feed and blow-off pipe; g
the safety valve; hthe water gauge.
Steam car, a car driven by steam power, or drawn by a
locomotive.
Steam carriage, a carriage upon wheels moved on common
roads by steam.
Steam casing. See Steam jacket, under Jacket.
Steam chest, the box or chamber from which steam is
distributed to the cylinder of a steam engine, steam pump,
etc., and which usually contains one or more valves; --
called also valve chest, and valve box. See Illust. of
Slide valve, under Slide.
Steam chimney, an annular chamber around the chimney of a
boiler furnace, for drying steam.
Steam coil, a coil of pipe, or a collection of connected
pipes, for containing steam; -- used for heating, drying,
etc.
Steam colors (Calico Printing), colors in which the
chemical reaction fixing the coloring matter in the fiber
is produced by steam.
Steam cylinder, the cylinder of a steam engine, which
contains the piston. See Illust. of Slide valve, under
Slide.
Steam dome (Steam Boilers), a chamber upon the top of the
boiler, from which steam is conducted to the engine. See
Illust. of Steam boiler, above.
Steam fire engine, a fire engine consisting of a steam
boiler and engine, and pump which is driven by the engine,
combined and mounted on wheels. It is usually drawn by
horses, but is sometimes made self-propelling.
Steam fitter, a fitter of steam pipes.
Steam fitting, the act or the occupation of a steam fitter;
also, a pipe fitting for steam pipes.
Steam gas. See Superheated steam, above.
Steam gauge, an instrument for indicating the pressure of
the steam in a boiler. The mercurial steam gauge is a
bent tube partially filled with mercury, one end of which
is connected with the boiler while the other is open to
the air, so that the steam by its pressure raises the
mercury in the long limb of the tube to a height
proportioned to that pressure. A more common form,
especially for high pressures, consists of a spring
pressed upon by the steam, and connected with the pointer
of a dial. The spring may be a flattened, bent tube,
closed at one end, which the entering steam tends to
straighten, or it may be a diaphragm of elastic metal, or
a mass of confined air, etc.
Steam gun, a machine or contrivance from which projectiles
may be thrown by the elastic force of steam.
Steam hammer, a hammer for forging, which is worked
directly by steam; especially, a hammer which is guided
vertically and operated by a vertical steam cylinder
located directly over an anvil. In the variety known as
Nasmyth's, the cylinder is fixed, and the hammer is
attached to the piston rod. In that known as Condie's, the
piston is fixed, and the hammer attached to the lower end
of the cylinder.
Steam heater.
(a) A radiator heated by steam.
(b) An apparatus consisting of a steam boiler, radiator,
piping, and fixures for warming a house by steam.
Steam jacket. See under Jacket.
Steam packet, a packet or vessel propelled by steam, and
running periodically between certain ports.
Steam pipe, any pipe for conveying steam; specifically, a
pipe through which steam is supplied to an engine.
Steam plow or Steam plough, a plow, or gang of plows,
moved by a steam engine.
Steam port, an opening for steam to pass through, as from
the steam chest into the cylinder.
Steam power, the force or energy of steam applied to
produce results; power derived from a steam engine.
Steam propeller. See Propeller.
Steam pump, a small pumping engine operated by steam. It is
usually direct-acting.
Steam room (Steam Boilers), the space in the boiler above
the water level, and in the dome, which contains steam.
Steam table, a table on which are dishes heated by steam
for keeping food warm in the carving room of a hotel,
restaurant, etc.
Steam trap, a self-acting device by means of which water
that accumulates in a pipe or vessel containing steam will
be discharged without permitting steam to escape.
Steam tug, a steam vessel used in towing or propelling
ships.
Steam vessel, a vessel propelled by steam; a steamboat or
steamship; a steamer.
Steam whistle, an apparatus attached to a steam boiler, as
of a locomotive, through which steam is rapidly
discharged, producing a loud whistle which serves as a
warning or a signal. The steam issues from a narrow
annular orifice around the upper edge of the lower cup or
hemisphere, striking the thin edge of the bell above it,
and producing sound in the manner of an organ pipe or a
common whistle.
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High \High\, a. [Compar. Higher; superl. Highest.] [OE.
high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he['a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h,
OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw.
h["o]g, Dan. h["o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound,
G. h["u]gel hill, Lith. kaukaras.]
1. Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a
line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or
extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as,
a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.
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2. Regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished;
remarkable; conspicuous; superior; -- used indefinitely or
relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are
understood from the connection; as
(a) Elevated in character or quality, whether moral or
intellectual; pre["e]minent; honorable; as, high aims,
or motives. "The highest faculty of the soul."
--Baxter.
(b) Exalted in social standing or general estimation, or
in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified;
as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.
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He was a wight of high renown. --Shak.
(c) Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.
(d) Of great strength, force, importance, and the like;
strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes,
triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high
wind; high passions. "With rather a high manner."
--Thackeray.
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Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
--Ps. lxxxix.
13.
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Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
--Dryden.
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(e) Very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount;
grand; noble.
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Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
--Shak.
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Plain living and high thinking are no more.
--Wordsworth.
(f) Costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods
at a high price.
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If they must be good at so high a rate, they
know they may be safe at a cheaper. --South.
(g) Arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; --
used in a bad sense.
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An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
--Prov. xxi.
4.
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His forces, after all the high discourses,
amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
--Clarendon.
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3. Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or
superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i.
e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy)
seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e.,
deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough)
scholarship, etc.
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High time it is this war now ended were. --Spenser.
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High sauces and spices are fetched from the Indies.
--Baker.
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4. (Cookery) Strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures
do not cook game before it is high.
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5. (Mus.) Acute or sharp; -- opposed to grave or low; as,
a high note.
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6. (Phon.) Made with a high position of some part of the
tongue in relation to the palate, as [=e] ([=e]ve), [=oo]
(f[=oo]d). See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 10,
11.
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High admiral, the chief admiral.
High altar, the principal altar in a church.
High and dry, out of water; out of reach of the current or
tide; -- said of a vessel, aground or beached.
High and mighty arrogant; overbearing. [Colloq.]
High art, art which deals with lofty and dignified subjects
and is characterized by an elevated style avoiding all
meretricious display.
High bailiff, the chief bailiff.
High Church, & Low Church, two ecclesiastical parties in
the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The high-churchmen emphasize the doctrine of the apostolic
succession, and hold, in general, to a sacramental
presence in the Eucharist, to baptismal regeneration, and
to the sole validity of Episcopal ordination. They attach
much importance to ceremonies and symbols in worship.
Low-churchmen lay less stress on these points, and, in
many instances, reject altogether the peculiar tenets of
the high-church school. See Broad Church.
High constable (Law), a chief of constabulary. See
Constable, n., 2.
High commission court, a court of ecclesiastical
jurisdiction in England erected and united to the regal
power by Queen Elizabeth in 1559. On account of the abuse
of its powers it was abolished in 1641.
High day (Script.), a holy or feast day. --John xix. 31.
High festival (Eccl.), a festival to be observed with full
ceremonial.
High German, or High Dutch. See under German.
High jinks, an old Scottish pastime; hence, noisy revelry;
wild sport. [Colloq.] "All the high jinks of the county,
when the lad comes of age." --F. Harrison.
High latitude (Geog.), one designated by the higher
figures; consequently, a latitude remote from the equator.
High life, life among the aristocracy or the rich.
High liver, one who indulges in a rich diet.
High living, a feeding upon rich, pampering food.
High Mass. (R. C. Ch.) See under Mass.
High milling, a process of making flour from grain by
several successive grindings and intermediate sorting,
instead of by a single grinding.
High noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian.
High place (Script.), an eminence or mound on which
sacrifices were offered.
High priest. See in the Vocabulary.
High relief. (Fine Arts) See Alto-rilievo.
High school. See under School.
High seas (Law), the open sea; the part of the ocean not in
the territorial waters of any particular sovereignty,
usually distant three miles or more from the coast line.
--Wharton.
High steam, steam having a high pressure.
High steward, the chief steward.
High tea, tea with meats and extra relishes.
High tide, the greatest flow of the tide; high water.
High time.
(a) Quite time; full time for the occasion.
(b) A time of great excitement or enjoyment; a carousal.
[Slang]
High treason, treason against the sovereign or the state,
the highest civil offense. See Treason.
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Note: It is now sufficient to speak of high treason as
treason simply, seeing that petty treason, as a
distinct offense, has been abolished. --Mozley & W.
High water, the utmost flow or greatest elevation of the
tide; also, the time of such elevation.
High-water mark.
(a) That line of the seashore to which the waters
ordinarily reach at high water.
(b) A mark showing the highest level reached by water in a
river or other body of fresh water, as in time of
freshet.
High-water shrub (Bot.), a composite shrub (Iva
frutescens), growing in salt marshes along the Atlantic
coast of the United States.
High wine, distilled spirits containing a high percentage
of alcohol; -- usually in the plural.
To be on a high horse, to be on one's dignity; to bear
one's self loftily. [Colloq.]
With a high hand.
(a) With power; in force; triumphantly. "The children of
Israel went out with a high hand." --Ex. xiv. 8.
(b) In an overbearing manner, arbitrarily. "They governed
the city with a high hand." --Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Syn: Tall; lofty; elevated; noble; exalted; supercilious;
proud; violent; full; dear. See Tall.
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