vapour
C1Neutral to formal; common in technical/scientific contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical point; tiny droplets of liquid or solid particles suspended in air, visible as a mist or cloud.
Something unsubstantial or fleeting; a fanciful or insubstantial idea; the act of talking idly or boastfully.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a mass noun. The concept bridges physics (state of matter), meteorology (visible mist), and figurative language (something insubstantial).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: BrE 'vapour', AmE 'vapor'. In scientific/technical contexts, 'vapor' is the standard AmE spelling, though both refer to the same physical state.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. The figurative use ('to vanish into thin air/vapour') is equally understood.
Frequency
More frequent in BrE due to spelling, but the concept is equally common in technical AmE as 'vapor'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[vapour] + [verb: condenses, rises, forms][adjective] + [vapour][vapour] + [preposition: of, from]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “vanish/disappear into thin air (vapour)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in industries like HVAC, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals (e.g., 'vapour recovery system').
Academic
Common in physics, chemistry, meteorology, and engineering texts to describe a gaseous state or phase change.
Everyday
Typically refers to steam from a kettle, breath on a cold day, or a visible mist.
Technical
Precise term for a substance in the gas phase below its critical temperature, often discussed in relation to pressure, condensation, and humidity.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The chemist will vapourise the sample for analysis.
- The liquid began to vapour in the heat.
American English
- The system is designed to vaporize the coolant quickly.
- Alcohol will vaporize at room temperature.
adverb
British English
- The substance evaporated vapourously.
adjective
British English
- The vapour pressure reading was critical.
- They installed a new vapour barrier in the loft.
American English
- Check the vapor pressure in the tank.
- The building code requires a vapor barrier.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I can see my breath like white vapour in the cold air.
- The kettle makes vapour when the water boils.
- The warm vapour from the shower covered the mirror.
- Water vapour turns into clouds in the sky.
- The experiment measured how much vapour the liquid produced at different temperatures.
- His ambitious ideas seemed to vanish into vapour when we examined the costs.
- The vapour pressure of the volatile compound posed a significant safety hazard.
- The politician's speech was full of rhetorical vapour, lacking any substantive policy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a VAPOURising liquid turning into VAPOUR. The 'our' ending is like the British 'colour' and 'favour'.
Conceptual Metaphor
INSUBSTANTIALITY / FLEETING NATURE IS VAPOUR (e.g., 'his promises were mere vapour', 'the plan evaporated').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'пар' (steam) in all contexts; 'vapour' is a broader scientific term for any substance in that state.
- Figurative use ('пустой звук', 'мираж') is less common in English and can sound literary.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'vapour' as a countable noun (e.g., 'a vapour' is rare; prefer 'a vapour cloud').
- Confusing 'vapour' (general gas) with 'steam' (specifically vapour from boiling water).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'vapour' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Steam' specifically refers to water vapour that is at or above boiling point and is often visible as a white mist. 'Vapour' is a broader scientific term for any substance in the gas phase below its critical temperature, which can be invisible (like water vapour in air) or visible.
Primarily uncountable. You refer to 'some vapour' or 'a cloud of vapour'. It is rarely used in the plural except in very technical or literary contexts (e.g., 'toxic vapours').
It follows a common spelling pattern where BrE retains the '-our' ending from Old French/Latin origins (e.g., colour, honour), while AmE simplified many spellings to '-or' in the 19th century.
Yes, though it's less common. The verbs are 'vaporise/vaporize' (to turn into vapour) and, archaically, 'vapour' itself can mean 'to emit vapour' or 'to talk boastfully'. The adjective is 'vaporous'.