vacuum

English Online Dictionary. What means vacuum‎? What does vacuum mean?

English

Alternative forms

• vacuüm (rare)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vacuum (“an empty space, void”), noun use of neuter of vacuus (“empty”), related to vacare (“be empty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvæ.kjuːm/, /ˈvæ.kjuː.əm/
• Hyphenation: va‧cu‧um

Noun

vacuum (plural vacuums or (rare, formal) vacua)

1. A region of space that contains no matter.

   Synonyms: vacancy, void

   Antonym: plenum
2. The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, such as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.

3. (colloquial, only pluralized as "vacuums") Ellipsis of vacuum cleaner.

   Synonym: (British) hoover

4. (physics) A spacetime having tensors of zero magnitude.
5. An emptiness in life created by a loss of a person who was close, or of an occupation.
6. An exercise in which one draws their abdomen towards the spine.

Usage notes

• The Latin in vacuo is sometimes used instead of in a vacuum (in free space).

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

vacuum (third-person singular simple present vacuums, present participle vacuuming, simple past and past participle vacuumed)

1. (transitive) To clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner.

   Synonym: (British) hoover
2. (intransitive) To use a vacuum cleaner.

   Synonyms: (British) to do the hoovering, (British) to hoover

3. (transitive, databases) To optimise a database or database table by physically removing deleted tuples.

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.kɥɔm/
• Hyphenation: va‧cu‧um

Noun

vacuum m (plural vacuums)

1. vacuum (space containing no matter)

   Synonym: vide

Descendants

• Turkish: vakum

Further reading

• “vacuum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Adjective

vacuum

1. accusative neuter singular of vacuus

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vacuum.

Noun

vacuum n (plural vacuumuri)

1. vacuum

Declension

Spanish

Alternative forms

• vácuum (recommended)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbakuum/ [ˈba.ku.ũm]
• Rhymes: -akuum
• Syllabification: va‧cu‧um

Noun

vacuum m (plural vacuums)

1. vacuum