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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

vacuum en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈvæ.kjuːm/
  • /ˈvæ.kjuː.əm/ (dated)

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin vacuum (“vacuum”), a subsense of Classical Latin vacuum (“empty space”), a substantivised form of vacuus (“empty”); related to vacāre (“to be empty”). The exercise sense comes from analogy to the sucking action of a vacuum cleaner.

Meanings

  1. A region of space that contains no matter.
    • The Wards are open-topped, with skyscrapers rising from the superstructure. Towers are sealed against vacuum, as the breathable atmosphere envelope is only maintained to a height of about seven meters. The atmosphere is contained by the centrifugal force of rotation and a "membrane" of dense, colorless sulphur hexafluoride gas, held in place by carefully managed mass effect fields. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel Station: Wards Codex entry:
  2. The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, such as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.
    • a vacuum of 26 inches of mercury, or 13 pounds per square inch
  3. (abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis, qualifier:only pluralized as "vacuums") Ellipsis of vacuum cleaner.
  4. A spacetime having tensors of zero magnitude.
  5. A ground state of a quantum field or of local spacetime, or more abstractly the lowest-energy state of a system.
  6. (qualifier:string theory) A ground state of a quantum field or of local spacetime, or more abstractly the lowest-energy state of a system. ▸ A description of spacetime resulting from a particular compactification of spatial dimensions.
  7. An emptiness in life created by a loss of a person who was close, or of an occupation.
    • Henrietta soon found a terrible vacuum left, by the letters in which she used to pour forth every feeling and thought to her uncle. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 82–83:
  8. An exercise in which one draws their abdomen towards the spine.
    • When I do the 'gut vacuum' exercise the abdominal wall seems to return to normal size, as far as I can tell under the flab. 2010 January 7, Silent Stone, “Want to start, have a few questions for now.”, in misc.fitness.weights (Usenet):
    • Right I'm off to practice my vacuum - suck in those stomachs now! 1997 January 6, John, “I'm 14; How do I start bodybuilding?”, in misc.fitness.weights (Usenet):
    • Blessed with round muscle bellies and a phenomenal structure, he also performed a vacuum pose on stage. 2022 October 10, Aaromal Maanas, “2022 Tsunami Nutrition Pro Results and Recap”, in Sportskeeda, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2022:
    • Abs show up in a most-muscular shot, a vacuum shot, the hands-behind-head compulsory ab shot, twisting poses, and so on. 1985, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 508:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
vacuüm alternative, rare lexicographic
vacua Number=Plur, Polite=Form error-unknown-tag, rare lexicographic
vacuums Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

plenum

Deriveds

vacuum airship · vacuumous · pseudovacuum · vacuum bomb · stomach vacuum · Khan-Penrose vacuum · vacuum bag · vacuum gauge · vacuum aspiration · vacuum pose · false vacuum · vacuum-cleaned · vacuum brake · nature abhors a vacuum · vacuum activity · vacuum pan · rough vacuum · Schwarzschild vacuum · vacuum pump · Kerns-Wild vacuum · vacuumless · vacuum pack · electrovacuum · gravastar · vacuum desiccator · abdominal vacuum · vacuum-pack · revacuum · intervacuum · vacuum balloon · double Kerr vacuum · vacuum bottle · vacuumlike · legal vacuum · vacuum sealer · vacuumer · political vacuum · vacuum valve · vacutainer · vacuum fluorescent display · central vacuum · vacuum tube · vacuum decay · Taub-NUT vacuum · vacuum up · Torricellian vacuum · power vacuum · subvacuum · bee vacuum · autovacuum · vacuum-clean · vacuum bed · vacuum workout · vacuum flask · high vacuum · vacuum cleaner · vacuum exercise · thermal-vacuum · vacuum chamber · vacuum catastrophe · partial vacuum · vacuumize · vacupuncture · in a vacuum · vacuum-packed · ultravacuum · vactrain · Kerr vacuum · vacufuge · vacuumable · vacuum energy · nonvacuum · vacuum bubble · quasivacuum · vacuum distillation · Oszváth-Schücking vacuum

Relateds

vacant · vacuous

Synonyms

void · hoover · vacuum state (of spacetime or a field) · vacancy

Translations (83)

scn vacanti (region of space that contains no matter) · grc κενόν (region of space that contains no matter) · grc κένωμα (region of space that contains no matter) · mt frugħ (region of space that contains no matter) · th สุญญากาศ (region of space that contains no matter) · hi निर्वात (region of space that contains no matter) · es vacuo (region of space that contains no matter) · fr vacuum (region of space that contains no matter) · la vacuus (region of space that contains no matter) · pl próżnia (region of space that contains no matter) · fi tyhjö (region of space that contains no matter) · ja 真空 (region of space that contains no matter) · nb vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · vi chân không (region of space that contains no matter) · it vuoto (region of space that contains no matter) · pt vácuo (region of space that contains no matter) · ilo kalawakaw (region of space that contains no matter) · cmn 真空 (region of space that contains no matter) · ko 진공 (region of space that contains no matter) · cy gwactod (region of space that contains no matter) · fi tyhjiö (region of space that contains no matter) · nn vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · sv vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · tl awangin (region of space that contains no matter) · sv tomrum (region of space that contains no matter) · az vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · ia vacuo (region of space that contains no matter) · ro vid (region of space that contains no matter) · cs vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · ar فَضَاء (region of space that contains no matter) · sw ombwe (region of space that contains no matter) · ka ვაკუუმი (region of space that contains no matter) · ms hampagas (region of space that contains no matter) · fi vakuumi (region of space that contains no matter) · io vakuo (region of space that contains no matter) · km សុញ្ញកាស (region of space that contains no matter) · am ኦና (region of space that contains no matter) · mg mangabangabaka (region of space that contains no matter) · su ᮛᮧᮠᮍᮔ᮪ ᮠᮕ (region of space that contains no matter) · te శూన్యం (region of space that contains no matter) · he ואקום (region of space that contains no matter) · ilo kawaw (region of space that contains no matter) · ru ва́куум (region of space that contains no matter) · de Vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · sl vákuum (region of space that contains no matter) · he ריק (region of space that contains no matter) · id hampa udara (region of space that contains no matter) · ar فَرَاغ (region of space that contains no matter) · sh zrakoprazan prostor (region of space that contains no matter) · is lofttæmi (region of space that contains no matter) · hu vákuum (region of space that contains no matter) · is tóm (region of space that contains no matter) · wo féex (region of space that contains no matter) · sq zbrazëti (region of space that contains no matter) · ga folús (region of space that contains no matter) · tr vakum (region of space that contains no matter) · eu huts (region of space that contains no matter) · gl baleiro (region of space that contains no matter) · fr vide (region of space that contains no matter) · hy վակուում (region of space that contains no matter) · is lofttóm (region of space that contains no matter) · id vakum (region of space that contains no matter) · eo vakuo (region of space that contains no matter) · ms ۏاکوم (region of space that contains no matter) · sq vakum (region of space that contains no matter) · ta வெற்றிடம் (region of space that contains no matter) · qu ch'usaq p'ulin (region of space that contains no matter) · nl vacuüm (region of space that contains no matter) · da tomrum (region of space that contains no matter) · da vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · mi korekore (region of space that contains no matter) · yi וואַקוּום (region of space that contains no matter) · el κενό (region of space that contains no matter) · sh vakum (region of space that contains no matter) · ms vakum (region of space that contains no matter) · za caenhoengq (region of space that contains no matter) · mt vojt (region of space that contains no matter) · sk vákuum (region of space that contains no matter) · bg вакуум (region of space that contains no matter) · sh vakuum (region of space that contains no matter) · ar خَلَاء (region of space that contains no matter) · ca buit (region of space that contains no matter) · ml ശൂന്യത (region of space that contains no matter)

vacuum en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈvæ.kjuːm/
  • /ˈvæ.kjuː.əm/ (dated)

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin vacuum (“vacuum”), a subsense of Classical Latin vacuum (“empty space”), a substantivised form of vacuus (“empty”); related to vacāre (“to be empty”). The exercise sense comes from analogy to the sucking action of a vacuum cleaner.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner.
    • “Who in the world cleans an attic? That's like vacuuming a shed.” 2016, Janice M. Whiteaker, Run:
  2. (intransitive) To use a vacuum cleaner.
  3. (transitive) To optimise a database or database table by physically removing deleted tuples.
    • But the advantage of an auto-vacuumed database is that when B-tree pages are no longer needed, they are moved to the end of the database file and then the database file is truncated, thus returning the unused pages back to the filesystem. 2010, Ivan Litovski, Richard Maynard, Inside Symbian SQL: A Mobile Developer's Guide to SQLite, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 337:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
vacuuming Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
vacuums Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
vacuumed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
vacuumed Tense=Past lexicographic
vacuüm alternative, rare lexicographic

Synonyms

to do the hoovering · to hoover · hoover

Translations (59)

nl stofzuigen (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · nb støvsuge (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · cmn 吸塵 /吸尘 (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · sv dammsuga (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · is ryksuga (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ca passar l'aspiradora (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · uk пилосо́сити (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ru пропылесо́сить (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · cy hwfro (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · pt aspirar (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · sv dammsuga (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · cy hwfro (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · hu porszívózik (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · hu porszívózik (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · nl stofzuigen (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ru пропылесо́сить (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · cs vysát (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · ru пылесо́сить (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · de staubsaugen (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · uk пилотяжити (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · is ryksuga (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · fo dustsúgva (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · pl odkurzyć (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · ca passar l'aspiradora (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ar naẓẓafa bi-l-maknasa(t) al-kahrabāʔiyya (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · fi imuroida (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · nn støvsuge (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ru пылесо́сить (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · tr süpürmek (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · eo polvosuĉi (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · pl odkurzać (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · el σκουπίζω (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · es aspirar (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · hy փոշեկուլով մաքրել (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · pl odkurzyć (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · it aspirapolverare (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ba һурҙырыу (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · nn støvsuge (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · fr passer l'aspirateur (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · fo dustsúgva (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · da støvsuge (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · pl odkurzać (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · cs vyluxovat (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · cs vysát (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · el σκουπίζω (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · es aspirar (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · ba һурҙырыу (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · pt aspirar (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · fr passer l'aspirateur (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · hy փոշեկուլ անել (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · de staubsaugen (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · bg пускам прахосмукачка (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · uk пропилосо́сити (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · cs vyluxovat (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · hy փոշեծծիչով մաքրել (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · da støvsuge (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · fi imuroida (intransitive: to use a vacuum cleaner) · nb støvsuge (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner) · az tozsoranlamaq (transitive: to clean with a vacuum cleaner)