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steamer

stea·mer

UK/ˈstiːmə/ US/ˈstimɚ/ uncommon obsolete slang uk us

noun

2.

a cooking utensil that can be used to cook food by steaming it

3.

a ship powered by one or more steam engines

Synonyms
4.

an edible clam with thin oval-shaped shell found in coastal regions of the United States and Europe

Origin

From steam + -er. The steamer duck or steamer (sense 6.2) is apparently named for its resemblance to a paddle steamer when swimming rapidly. The feces sense comically evokes the idea of steaming hot food and probably reflects that fresh feces sometimes give off visible water vapor in cold outdoor conditions such as those encountered by hunters, campers, and soldiers.

Phrases

  • Cleveland steamer
  • double steamer
  • excursion steamer
  • food steamer
  • paddle steamer
  • rice steamer
  • road steamer
  • screw steamer

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.