vacuum
noun
vac·u·um
| \ ˈva-(ˌ)kyüm
, -kyəm also -kyü-əm
\
, -kyəm also -kyü-əm
\
plural vacuums
or vacua\ ˈva-kyə-wə
\
\
Definition of vacuum
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: emptiness of space
2a
: a space absolutely devoid of matter
b
: a space partially exhausted (as to the highest degree possible) by artificial means (such as an air pump)
c
: a degree of rarefaction below atmospheric pressure
3a
: a state or condition resembling a vacuum : void
the power vacuum in Indochina after the departure of the French— Norman Cousins
b
: a state of isolation from outside influences
people who live in a vacuum … so that the world outside them is of no moment— W. S. Maugham
vacuum
verb
vacuumed;
vacuuming;
vacuums
Definition of vacuum (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: to use a vacuum device (such as a vacuum cleaner) on
vacuum the living room
2
: to draw or take in by or as if by suction
: to operate a vacuum device
vacuum
adjectiveDefinition of vacuum (Entry 3 of 3)
1
: of, containing, producing, or utilizing a partial vacuum
separated by means of vacuum distillation
2
: of or relating to a vacuum device or system
Examples of vacuum in a Sentence
Noun
the vacuum of outer space A pump was used to create a vacuum inside the bottle.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Atmospheric vacuum breaker at mop sink in poor condition. — Ebony Day, azcentral, "Moldy cheese among violations found during restaurant inspections," 4 Sep. 2019 Today, residents of Sambarkod, Upper Sambarkod, and Bodi Challa tribal colonies in Attappadi, are facing a huge vacuum in their life with Peelandi’s absence. — K A Shaji, Quartz India, "Tribals in India’s Kerala are protesting against a Hindu name given to a captured elephant," 30 Aug. 2019 The process starts with the injection of deuterium and tritium in the high-vacuum reaction vessel. — Giulia Pacchioni, Scientific American, "The Road to Fusion," 26 Aug. 2019 Dyson doesn't just deal in space-conscious and stylish vacuums, the elevated home brand also dabbles in hi-tech hair care and air enhancers, too. — Elizabeth Buxton, refinery29.com, "This 55%-Off Dyson Sale Won't Last Long," 24 Aug. 2019 This particular vacuum is technically certified refurbished. — Kelsey Mulvey, Popular Mechanics, "Amazon Is Selling a Super Cool Dyson Vacuum For Under $200," 23 Aug. 2019 When: Now BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum Be a good roommate and always maintain your side of the dorm looking great with this tiny but mighty vacuum. — Bianca Nieves, Teen Vogue, "The Best 2019 Back-To-School Sales You Should Be Shopping," 10 Aug. 2019 Official Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals might not be finalized yet, but last year's Black Friday deals featured insane deals, like over $100 off Shark vacuums, 64% off Amazon devices, and 50% off Urban Decay at Ulta. — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "The Best Pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals of 2019," 2 Aug. 2019 The New Song Community Learning Center that Tinazsha attends is in the heart of Sandtown-Winchester, Gray’s former neighborhood, where open-air drug markets fill an economic vacuum and police helicopters routinely buzzes overhead. — David Mcfadden, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore schools’ mission: Help students cope with trauma," 31 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
By his demeanor in the film, the sanitation guy vacuuming hippie waste from the porta-johns could be picking daisies. — Randall Robertsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "How to relive Woodstock: What to listen to, watch and read this week," 13 Aug. 2019 Crumbs don't care where your outlets are, which can make traditional vacuuming a pain. — Julianne Ross, CNN Underscored, "Cordless vacuums are stronger than ever — shop the best picks for your budget," 29 July 2019 The ideal combination of the two measurements depends on the nature of the vacuuming work. — Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, "The 7 Best Leaf Vacuums to Make Yard Work Easy," 26 July 2019 Energy-intensive tasks such as vacuuming, laundry and dish washing should be postponed until after 10 p.m., PG&E said. — J.d. Morris, SFChronicle.com, "Californians urged to conserve electricity during heat wave," 11 June 2019 However, vacuuming your home for 30 minutes in a way and kind of dancing and moving could be aerobic and fun. — Halley Bondy, NBC News, "Nutritionist Maya Feller's 5 best health tips for women of color," 21 Aug. 2019 Under the old program, the N.S.A. had been vacuuming up billions of logs about Americans’ communications every day. — Charlie Savage, New York Times, "Trump Administration Asks Congress to Reauthorize N.S.A.’s Deactivated Call Records Program," 15 Aug. 2019 Pribish's facility is cleaned daily with a surface disinfectant and decontaminant, is vacuumed and mopped daily, and gets spot cleanings throughout the day. — Scott Douglas, sun-sentinel.com, "Your gym is teeming with invisible members: Germs. Here’s how to avoid them.," 29 July 2019 For example, Google Map's street view cars were found in 2010 to have been accessing nearby open Wi-Fi networks and vacuuming up unencrypted data over years across multiple countries. — Xavier Harding, Fortune, "Alphabet’s Latest Data Grab: Google Home Records Far More Sound Than Users Realize, Report Says," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vacuum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for vacuum
vacuum
noun
English Language Learners Definition of vacuum
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an empty space in which there is no air or other gas : a space from which all or most of the air has been removed
: a situation created when an important person or thing has gone and has not been replaced
vacuum
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of vacuum (Entry 2 of 2)
: to clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner
See the full definition for vacuum in the English Language Learners Dictionary
vacuum
noun
vac·u·um
| \ ˈva-ˌkyüm
\
\
plural vacuums
or vacua\ -kyə-wə \
Kids Definition of vacuum
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a space completely empty of matter
2
: a space from which most of the air has been removed (as by a pump)
3
: vacuum cleaner
vacuum
verb
vacuumed;
vacuuming
Kids Definition of vacuum (Entry 2 of 2)