evaporation

noun

evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌva-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce evaporation (audio)
: the act or process of evaporating:
a
: change from a liquid to a vapor
evaporation of water
But warming increases the evaporation of ocean water, which could increase the snowfall on the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, remove water from the ocean, and lower sea level.Jack M. Hollander
b
: the vanishing or disappearance of something
The pope's attempt to arrest the evaporation of the Christian tradition in Europe was also unsuccessful.Conrad Black
No longer a machine that accelerates the evaporation of resources, in the Roman context the banquet becomes a theatre of wealth and property, of social distinction, or social-climbing.James N. Davidson

Examples of evaporation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Additionally, there was partial ocean evaporation, and darkness that likely harmed shallow-water photosynthetic microbes in the short term. Hannah Peart, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024 And the flip side of drought—the product of excess evaporation levels during heat waves—can lead to intense rains and serious floods, as occurred in Tuscany and surrounding regions last spring. Mark Schapiro, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 Also, Phoenix had been unusually dry during the summer and fall, Murphy said, which allowed more of the sun's energy to go into heating the air and surface rather than being taken up by evaporation from moist soils. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024 Inhale the Oils Using the Dry Evaporation Method The dry evaporation method is another way to inhale essential oils indirectly but effectively. Emily Brown, Mph, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for evaporation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evaporation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evaporation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near evaporation

Cite this Entry

“Evaporation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evaporation. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

evaporation

noun
evap·​o·​ra·​tion
i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən
: the process of evaporating

Medical Definition

evaporation

noun
evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce evaporation (audio)
: the change by which any substance is converted from a liquid state into and carried off in vapor
specifically : the conversion of a liquid into vapor in order to remove it wholly or partly from a liquid of higher boiling point or from solids dissolved in or mixed with it
evaporate verb
evaporated; evaporating
evaporator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on evaporation

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