steamer
part of speech
noun (a steamer, steamers)
meaning for a pupil
1) A ship or boat driven by a steam engine; a steamship. tree →
2) A pan or pot with holes in it that sits over boiling water to cook food in the steam. tree →
3) A machine that uses steam to clean things or take creases out of clothes. tree →
sense in the lessons
In The Wind in the Willows a passing steamer makes waves on the river, and the Sea Rat tells of sailing on ships and steamers to far ports. In history, steamers carried people across oceans and along rivers from the 1800s. In cooking, a steamer cooks vegetables without boiling them in water, so more vitamins stay in. In science: water boils and turns to steam, and the steam carries heat. Phrases: «a paddle steamer», «river steamer», «steam vegetables in a steamer».
examples
- We sailed across the lake on an old paddle steamer. tree →
- The steamer blew its whistle as it left the harbour. tree →
- Mum cooks broccoli in a steamer so it stays green. tree →
- The waves from the steamer rocked the little rowing boat. tree →
- Thousands of people crossed the Atlantic on great steamers. tree →
- The dry cleaner used a steamer to smooth the wrinkled dress. tree →
- Be careful: steam from the steamer can burn your hand. tree →
- Steamer after steamer, crowded with people, glides down the Seine. tree →
note
Countable. Safety: steam is hotter than it looks and can scald; open a steamer lid away from your face. In Australia «steamer» was once also an old slang word, but it is not used now.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «steamer» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.