What does vacuum mean?
Definitions for vacuum
ˈvæk yum, -yu əm, -yəm; -yu əvac·u·um
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word vacuum.
Princeton's WordNet
vacuum, vacuitynoun
the absence of matter
void, vacancy, emptiness, vacuumnoun
an empty area or space
"the huge desert voids"; "the emptiness of outer space"; "without their support he'll be ruling in a vacuum"
vacuum, vacuitynoun
a region that is devoid of matter
vacuum, vacuum cleanerverb
an electrical home appliance that cleans by suction
vacuum, vacuum-clean, hooververb
clean with a vacuum cleaner
"vacuum the carpets"
Wiktionary
vacuumnoun
A region of space that contains no matter.
vacuumnoun
A vacuum cleaner.
vacuumverb
To clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner.
vacuumverb
To use a vacuum cleaner.
Etymology: From vacuum, noun use of neuter of vacuus, related to vaco
ChatGPT
vacuum
A vacuum is a state or condition of a space where it is empty or devoid of matter, typically achieved by pumping out air or any gas particles. It can also refer to a situation or condition where something is absent or lacking. In physics, it is an ideal concept as a perfect vacuum with absolutely no particles is practically unattainable. Additionally, a vacuum can refer to a cleaning device that uses suction to pick up dirt and dust from floors and other surfaces.
Webster Dictionary
Vacuumnoun
a space entirely devoid of matter (called also, by way of distinction, absolute vacuum); hence, in a more general sense, a space, as the interior of a closed vessel, which has been exhausted to a high or the highest degree by an air pump or other artificial means; as, water boils at a reduced temperature in a vacuum
Vacuumnoun
the condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.; as, a vacuum of 26 inches of mercury, or 13 pounds per square inch
Etymology: [L., fr. vacuus empty. See Vacuous.]
Wikidata
Vacuum
Vacuum is space that is empty of matter. The word stems from the Latin adjective vacuus for "vacant" or "void". An approximation to such vacuum is a region with a gaseous pressure much less than atmospheric pressure. Physicists often discuss ideal test results that would occur in a perfect vacuum, which they sometimes simply call "vacuum" or free space, and use the term partial vacuum to refer to an actual imperfect vacuum as one might have in a laboratory or in space. The Latin term in vacuo is used to describe an object as being in what would otherwise be a vacuum. The quality of a partial vacuum refers to how closely it approaches a perfect vacuum. Other things equal, lower gas pressure means higher-quality vacuum. For example, a typical vacuum cleaner produces enough suction to reduce air pressure by around 20%. Much higher-quality vacuums are possible. Ultra-high vacuum chambers, common in chemistry, physics, and engineering, operate below one trillionth of atmospheric pressure, and can reach around 100 particles/cm³. Outer space is an even higher-quality vacuum, with the equivalent of just a few hydrogen atoms per cubic meter on average. Some theories predict that even if all matter could be removed from a volume, it would still not be "empty" due to vacuum fluctuations, dark energy, and other phenomena in quantum physics. In modern particle physics, the vacuum state is considered as the ground state of matter.
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Vacuum
A space in which the pressure is far below atmospheric pressure so that the remaining gases do not affect processes being carried on in the space.
The Standard Electrical Dictionary
Vacuum
A space destitute of any substance. The great pervading substance is in general sense the atmosphere. It is the gaseous mixture which surrounds and envelopes the earth and its inhabitants. It consists of a simple mixture of oxygen, 1 part, nitrogen, 4 parts, with 4 to 6 volumes of carbonic acid gas in 10,000 volumes of air, or about one cubic inch to one cubic foot. It presses with a force of about 14.7 lbs. per square inch under the influence of the force of gravity. The term vacuum in practise refers to any space from which air has been removed. It may be produced chemically. Air may be displaced by carbonic acid gas and the latter may be absorbed by caustic alkali or other chemical. The air may be expelled and the space may be filled with steam which is condensed to produce the vacuum. Of course in all cases the space must be included in an hermetically sealed vessel, such as the bulb of an incandescent lamp. But the universal method of producing a vacuum is by air pumps. An absolute vacuum means the entire absence of gas or air, something almost impossible to produce. A high vacuum is sometimes understood to mean one in which the path of the molecules is equal in length to the diameter of the containing vessels, as in Crookes' Radiometer and other apparatus for illustrating the radiant condition of matter. The air left after exhaustion is termed residual air or residual atmosphere. [Transcriber's note: Dry air is about .78 nitrogen, .21 oxygen, .01 argon, .00038 carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. Argon was suspected by Henry Cavendish in 1785. It was discovered in 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
vacuum
A space utterly empty, even of air or vapour.
Suggested Resources
vacuum
Song lyrics by vacuum -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by vacuum on the Lyrics.com website.
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of vacuum in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of vacuum in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of vacuum in a Sentence
In a vacuum, this quarter was good, but the results don't solve a lot of our longer term concerns about the growth profile of the company.
How many people make themselves abstract to appear profound. The most useful part of abstract terms are the shadows they create to hide a vacuum.
Nature abhors a vacuum, and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness I am sure to be filled.
The speaker’s letter was not him sitting in a vacuum, the speaker’s letter reflected weeks of dialogue. … Our input was translated into that letter.
Once the Greece situation gets resolved, favorably or unfavorably, you're going to have a bit of a news vacuum, and it's really difficult to see the TSX make sustainable headway.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for vacuum
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- خلاء, فضاء, فراغArabic
- һурҙырыуBashkir
- вакуумBulgarian
- buitCatalan, Valencian
- vyluxovat, vakuum, vysátCzech
- støvsuge, vakuumDanish
- Vakuum, staubsaugenGerman
- κενόGreek
- vakuoEsperanto
- vacío, aspirarSpanish
- tyhjö, imuroida, vakuumi, tyhjiöFinnish
- dustsúgvaFaroese
- vacuum, vide, passer l'aspirateurFrench
- folúsIrish
- baleiroGalician
- ריק, ואקוםHebrew
- vákuum, porszívózikHungarian
- պիլասոս անել, վակուումArmenian
- vacuoInterlingua
- vakuoIdo
- lofttóm, lofttæmi, ryksugaIcelandic
- vuoto, aspirapolverareItalian
- 真空Japanese
- 眞空, 진공Korean
- vacuumLatin
- vakuum, støvsugeNorwegian
- stofzuigen, vacuümDutch
- vakuum, støvsugeNorwegian Nynorsk
- próżnia, odkurzaćPolish
- vácuo, aspirarPortuguese
- vidRomanian
- вакуум, пылесосить, пропылесоситьRussian
- vakum, zrakoprazan prostor, vakuumSerbo-Croatian
- vákuumSlovak
- vakuum, dammsugaSwedish
- శూన్యంTelugu
- 真空Chinese
Get even more translations for vacuum »
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"vacuum." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 11 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/vacuum>.
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