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.
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.
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
value; 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 values; -- 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 collection of connected
pipes, for containing steam; -- used for heating, drying, etc. -- Steam
colors (Calico Printing), colors in which the chemical reaction fixed
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 conduced 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 tume 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 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 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.
Steam (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Steamed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Steaming.]
1. To emit steam or vapor.
My brother's ghost hangs hovering there, O'er his warm blood, that
steams into the air.
Dryden.
Let the crude humors dance In heated brass, steaming with fire
intence.
J. Philips.