evaporation

[ih-vap-uh-rey-shuh n] /ɪˌvæp əˈreɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
the act or process of evaporating.
2.
the state of being evaporated.
3.
Archaic. matter or the quantity of matter evaporated or passed off in vapor.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English evaporacioun < Latin ēvapōrātiōn- (stem of ēvapōrātiō). See evaporate, -ion
Related forms
evaporative
[ih-vap-uh-rey-tiv, -er-uh-tiv] /ɪˈvæp əˌreɪ tɪv, -ər ə tɪv/ (Show IPA), adjective
evaporatively, adverb
nonevaporation, noun
nonevaporative, adjective
preevaporation, noun
unevaporative, adjective
Can be confused
evanescence, evaporation, liquefaction, melting, thawing, transpiration, vaporization.
Examples from the web for evaporation
  • One way to keep costs down is through a process called multiple-effect evaporation.
  • Hurricanes are fueled by the evaporation of warm ocean water.
  • Replacing trees with shallow-rooted grasses reduces evaporation of transpired water and increases runoff.
  • It's caused by changes in surface tension due to the differing evaporation rates of alcohol and water.
  • The longer a whiskey is aged, the more of it is lost to evaporation and the more expensive it is.
  • The speeds of water molecules determine condensation and evaporation rates.
  • The rapid evaporation of his political support was not the result of any ideological shift in Italian politics.
  • In less than half a century, the sea lost 90 percent of its volume and 75 percent of its surface to evaporation.
  • Higher temperatures mean more evaporation, more intense storms and more rapid snow melt.
  • Investors are worried about what the evaporation of credit will do to an already-weakened global economy.
Word Origin and History for evaporation
n.

late 14c., from Old French évaporation and directly from Latin evaporationem (nominative evaporatio), noun of action from past participle stem of evaporare "disperse in vapor or steam," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + vapor "steam" (see vapor).

evaporation in Medicine

evaporation e·vap·o·ra·tion (ĭ-vāp'ə-rā'shən)
n.

  1. A change from liquid to vapor form.

  2. Loss of volume of a liquid by conversion into vapor. Also called volatilization.

evaporation in Science
evaporation
  (ĭ-vāp'ə-rā'shən)   
The change of a liquid into a vapor at a temperature below the boiling point. Evaporation takes place at the surface of a liquid, where molecules with the highest kinetic energy are able to escape. When this happens, the average kinetic energy of the liquid is lowered, and its temperature decreases.
evaporation in Culture

evaporation definition


The changing of a liquid into a gas, often under the influence of heat (as in the boiling of water). (See vaporization.)

Note: The evaporation of water from the oceans is a major component in the hydrologic cycle.