evaporation

[ih-vap-uh-rey-shuhn]

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.

evaporation

1. 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

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

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

Other Word Forms

• evaporative adjective
• evaporatively adverb
• nonevaporation noun
• nonevaporative adjective
• preevaporation noun
• unevaporative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of evaporation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English evaporacioun, from Latin ēvapōrātiōn- (stem of ēvapōrātiō ); evaporate, -ion

Example Sentences

Some use water evaporation to dissipate the heat, which works well but is thirsty.

From BBC

Moisture lost to evaporation and drought, plus runoff from pumped groundwater, now outpaces the melting of glaciers and the ice sheets of either Antarctica or Greenland as the largest contributor of water to the oceans.

From Salon

Mining companies predominantly extract lithium by pumping brine from beneath Chile's salt flats to evaporation pools on the surface.

From BBC

Climate change is expected to lead to drier summers on average, while more intense heatwaves mean more water can be lost via evaporation.

From BBC

Warmer seas mean extra evaporation, adding to the moisture in the atmosphere that can fuel extreme rainfall.

From BBC

Related Words

• dispersal 
• melting www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does evaporation mean?

Evaporation is the process of changing from a liquid or solid state into vapor (like fog, mist, or steam).Evaporation is a noun form of the verb evaporate. Both terms are typically used in the context of water turning into water vapor.Water evaporates when it changes into steam through boiling, but in scientific terms, evaporation typically refers to the change of a liquid into a vapor at a temperature below the boiling point, such as the evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. In this way, evaporation is an important part of the water cycle.The verb evaporate can also be used in a figurative way meaning to disappear, and evaporation can be used in this figurative way as well.Example: The evaporation of the dew from the grass each morning happens more quickly in the sunny parts of the yard.