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
Manufacturers often use pneumatic hoses, like vacuums, to move the pellets from place to place. — Zoë Schlanger, Quartz, "Virgin plastic pellets are the biggest pollution disaster you’ve never heard of," 19 Aug. 2019 Last year, Walmart had the best Black Friday deal on Instant Pots, offered $130 discounts on Shark vacuums, and a $150 discount on Sceptre televisions. — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "We Already Know Walmart's Black Friday Deals for 2019 Will Be Amazing," 16 Aug. 2019 But the Roys believe themselves to exist in a vacuum, without the benefit of outside help. — Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Succession season 2: 4 winners and 4 losers from the premiere," 12 Aug. 2019 When nothing fills this vacuum, the effect can be a negative one. — Brad Stulberg, Outside Online, "We've Reached Peak Wellness. Most of It Is Nonsense.," 8 Aug. 2019 But policy doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and the Fed’s recent move to drop its benchmark rate comes as economies from Japan and Australia to Europe shift toward easing monetary policy, potentially by cutting their own interest rates. — New York Times, "China’s Currency Moves Escalate Trade War, Rattling Markets," 5 Aug. 2019 Every home needs a trusty vacuum, and newer models are quieter, sleeker, and more easy to conceal than ever. — Kaitlin Clark, Curbed, "7 well-reviewed vacuums on sale for Prime Day," 15 July 2019 Electrical equipment: cellphones, TVs, lamps, vacuums, etc. — Josh Zumbrun, WSJ, "When It Comes to Tariffs, Many U.S. Companies Are on China’s Side," 27 June 2019 According to Atkins, desire doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and the answer doesn’t lie in any one pink box. — Nicole Blackwood, chicagotribune.com, "FDA approves Vyleesi, a new ‘Female Viagra.' What issues can it actually solve?," 24 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2019 Care Try to dry mop or vacuum your kitchen floor every other day to cut down on the build-up of dust and dirt. — Elle Decor Staff, ELLE Decor, "How to Keep a Clean Kitchen," 28 Sep. 2011 Their toothless mouths telescope out and vacuum up anything from worms to mussels. — Washington Post, "Sturgeon are making a comeback in America’s waterways," 11 July 2019 Their toothless mouths telescope out and vacuum up anything from worms to mussels. — Fox News, "Sturgeon, America's forgotten dinosaurs, are showing signs of life," 10 July 2019 Lowest price ever: This smart vacuum that has a super long battery life (Photo: Ecovacs) Hate vacuuming around the house? — Shayna Murphy, USA TODAY, "The 7 best deals you can get this Tuesday," 23 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)