[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

steam \steam\ st=em, n. oe. stem, steem, vapor, flame, as.
   ste'am vapor, smoke, odor; akin to d. stoom steam, perhaps
   originally, a pillar, or something rising like a pillar; cf.
   gr. sty`ein to erect, sty^los a pillar, and e. stand.
   1. the elastic, aeriform fluid into which water is converted
      when heated to the boiling point; water in the state of
      vapor; gaseous water.
      1913 webster + pjc

   2. the mist formed by condensed vapor; visible vapor; -- so
      called in popular usage.
      1913 webster

   3. any exhalation. "a steam of rich, distilled perfumes."
      --milton.
      1913 webster

   dry steam, steam which does not contain water held in
      suspension mechanically; -- sometimes applied to
      superheated steam.

   exhaust steam. see under exhaust.

   high steam, or high-pressure steam, steam of which the
      pressure greatly exceeds that of the atmosphere.

   low steam, or low-pressure steam, steam of which the
      pressure is less than, equal to, or not greatly above,
      that of the atmosphere.

   saturated steam, steam at the temperature of the boiling
      point which corresponds to its pressure; -- sometimes also
      applied to wet steam.

   superheated steam, steam heated to a temperature higher
      than the boiling point corresponding to its pressure. it
      can not exist in contact with water, nor contain water,
      and resembles a perfect gas; -- called also surcharged
      steam, anhydrous steam, and steam gas.

   wet steam, steam which contains water held in suspension
      mechanically; -- called also misty steam.
      1913 webster

   note: steam is often used adjectively, and in combination, to
         denote, produced by heat, or operated by power, derived
         from steam, in distinction from other sources of power;
         as in steam boiler or steam-boiler, steam dredger or
         steam-dredger, steam engine or steam-engine, steam
         heat, steam plow or steam-plow, etc.
         1913 webster

   steam blower.
      a a blower for producing a draught consisting of a jet
          or jets of steam in a chimney or under a fire.
      b a fan blower driven directly by a steam engine.

   steam boiler, a boiler for producing steam. see boiler,
      3, and note. in the illustration, the shell a of the
      boiler is partly in section, showing the tubes, or flues,
      which the hot gases, from the fire beneath the boiler,
      enter, after traversing the outside of the shell, and
      through which the gases are led to the smoke pipe d, which
      delivers them to the chimney; b is the manhole; c the
      dome; e the steam pipe; f the feed and blow-off pipe; g
      the safety valve; hthe water gauge.

   steam car, a car driven by steam power, or drawn by a
      locomotive.

   steam carriage, a carriage upon wheels moved on common
      roads by steam.

   steam casing. see steam jacket, under jacket.

   steam chest, the box or chamber from which steam is
      distributed to the cylinder of a steam engine, steam pump,
      etc., and which usually contains one or more valves; --
      called also valve chest, and valve box. see illust. of
      slide valve, under slide.

   steam chimney, an annular chamber around the chimney of a
      boiler furnace, for drying steam.

   steam coil, a coil of pipe, or a collection of connected
      pipes, for containing steam; -- used for heating, drying,
      etc.

   steam colors calico printing, colors in which the
      chemical reaction fixing the coloring matter in the fiber
      is produced by steam.

   steam cylinder, the cylinder of a steam engine, which
      contains the piston. see illust. of slide valve, under
      slide.

   steam dome steam boilers, a chamber upon the top of the
      boiler, from which steam is conducted to the engine. see
      illust. of steam boiler, above.

   steam fire engine, a fire engine consisting of a steam
      boiler and engine, and pump which is driven by the engine,
      combined and mounted on wheels. it is usually drawn by
      horses, but is sometimes made self-propelling.

   steam fitter, a fitter of steam pipes.

   steam fitting, the act or the occupation of a steam fitter;
      also, a pipe fitting for steam pipes.

   steam gas. see superheated steam, above.

   steam gauge, an instrument for indicating the pressure of
      the steam in a boiler. the mercurial steam gauge is a
      bent tube partially filled with mercury, one end of which
      is connected with the boiler while the other is open to
      the air, so that the steam by its pressure raises the
      mercury in the long limb of the tube to a height
      proportioned to that pressure. a more common form,
      especially for high pressures, consists of a spring
      pressed upon by the steam, and connected with the pointer
      of a dial. the spring may be a flattened, bent tube,
      closed at one end, which the entering steam tends to
      straighten, or it may be a diaphragm of elastic metal, or
      a mass of confined air, etc.

   steam gun, a machine or contrivance from which projectiles
      may be thrown by the elastic force of steam.

   steam hammer, a hammer for forging, which is worked
      directly by steam; especially, a hammer which is guided
      vertically and operated by a vertical steam cylinder
      located directly over an anvil. in the variety known as
      nasmyth's, the cylinder is fixed, and the hammer is
      attached to the piston rod. in that known as condie's, the
      piston is fixed, and the hammer attached to the lower end
      of the cylinder.

   steam heater.
      a a radiator heated by steam.
      b an apparatus consisting of a steam boiler, radiator,
          piping, and fixures for warming a house by steam.

   steam jacket. see under jacket.

   steam packet, a packet or vessel propelled by steam, and
      running periodically between certain ports.

   steam pipe, any pipe for conveying steam; specifically, a
      pipe through which steam is supplied to an engine.

   steam plow or steam plough, a plow, or gang of plows,
      moved by a steam engine.

   steam port, an opening for steam to pass through, as from
      the steam chest into the cylinder.

   steam power, the force or energy of steam applied to
      produce results; power derived from a steam engine.

   steam propeller. see propeller.

   steam pump, a small pumping engine operated by steam. it is
      usually direct-acting.

   steam room steam boilers, the space in the boiler above
      the water level, and in the dome, which contains steam.

   steam table, a table on which are dishes heated by steam
      for keeping food warm in the carving room of a hotel,
      restaurant, etc.

   steam trap, a self-acting device by means of which water
      that accumulates in a pipe or vessel containing steam will
      be discharged without permitting steam to escape.

   steam tug, a steam vessel used in towing or propelling
      ships.

   steam vessel, a vessel propelled by steam; a steamboat or
      steamship; a steamer.

   steam whistle, an apparatus attached to a steam boiler, as
      of a locomotive, through which steam is rapidly
      discharged, producing a loud whistle which serves as a
      warning or a signal. the steam issues from a narrow
      annular orifice around the upper edge of the lower cup or
      hemisphere, striking the thin edge of the bell above it,
      and producing sound in the manner of an organ pipe or a
      common whistle.
      1913 webster
see also:
dry steam exhaust steam exhaust high steam high-pressure steam low steam 
low-pressure steam saturated steam wet steam superheated steam surcharged steam 
anhydrous steam steam gas wet steam misty steam steam blower 
steam boiler boiler steam car steam carriage steam casing 
steam jacket jacket steam chest valve chest valve box 
slide valve slide steam chimney steam coil steam colors 
steam cylinder steam dome steam fire engine steam fitter steam fitting 
steam gas steam gauge mercurial steam gauge steam gun steam hammer 
steam heater steam packet steam pipe steam plow steam plough 
steam port steam power steam propeller propeller steam pump 
steam room steam table steam trap steam tug steam vessel 
steam whistle 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

valve \valve\, n. l. valva the leaf, fold, or valve of a door:
   cf. f. valve.
   1913 webster
   1. a door; especially, one of a pair of folding doors, or one
      of the leaves of such a door.
      1913 webster

            swift through the valves the visionary fair
            repassed.                             --pope.
      1913 webster

            heavily closed, . . . the valves of the barn doors.
                                                  --longfellow.
      1913 webster

   2. a lid, plug, or cover, applied to an aperture so that by
      its movement, as by swinging, lifting and falling,
      sliding, turning, or the like, it will open or close the
      aperture to permit or prevent passage, as of a fluid.
      1913 webster

   note: a valve may act automatically so as to be opened by the
         effort of a fluid to pass in one direction, and closed
         by the effort to pass in the other direction, as a
         clack valve; or it may be opened or closed by hand or
         by mechanism, as a screw valve, or a slide valve.
         1913 webster

   3. anat. one or more membranous partitions, flaps, or
      folds, which permit the passage of the contents of a
      vessel or cavity in one direction, but stop or retard the
      flow in the opposite direction; as, the ileocolic, mitral,
      and semilunar valves.
      1913 webster

   4. bot.
      a one of the pieces into which a capsule naturally
          separates when it bursts.
      b one of the two similar portions of the shell of a
          diatom.
      c a small portion of certain anthers, which opens like a
          trapdoor to allow the pollen to escape, as in the
          barberry.
          1913 webster

   5. zool. one of the pieces or divisions of bivalve or
      multivalve shells.
      1913 webster

   air valve, ball valve, check valve, etc. see under
      air. ball, check, etc.

   double-beat valve, a kind of balance valve usually
      consisting of a movable, open-ended, turban-shaped shell
      provided with two faces of nearly equal diameters, one
      above another, which rest upon two corresponding seats
      when the valve is closed.

   equilibrium valve.
      a a balance valve. see under balance.
      b a valve for permitting air, steam, water, etc., to
          pass into or out of a chamber so as to establish or
          maintain equal pressure within and without.

   valve chest mach., a chamber in which a valve works;
      especially steam engine, the steam chest; -- called in
      england valve box, and valve casing. see steam
      chest, under steam.

   valve face mach., that part of the surface of a valve
      which comes in contact with the valve seat.

   valve gear, or valve motion steam engine, the system of
      parts by which motion is given to the valve or valves for
      the distribution of steam in the cylinder. for an
      illustration of one form of valve gear, see link motion.
      

   valve seat. mach.
      a the fixed surface on which a valve rests or against
          which it presses.
      b a part or piece on which such a surface is formed.

   valve stem mach., a rod attached to a valve, for moving
      it.

   valve yoke mach., a strap embracing a slide valve and
      connecting it to the valve stem.
      1913 webster
see also:
air valve ball valve check valve air ball check 
double-beat valve equilibrium valve balance valve chest valve box 
valve casing steam chest steam valve face valve seat 
valve gear valve motion link motion valve seat valve stem 
valve yoke 

Chest >> C Words
Chest, definition of term: Chest
chest_pag1.html

Relief Valve >> R Words
Relief Valve, definition of term: Relief Valve
relief+valve_pag1.html

Safety Valve >> S Words
Safety Valve, definition of term: Safety Valve
safety+valve_pag1.html

Mitral Valve >> M Words
Mitral Valve, definition of term: Mitral Valve
mitral+valve_pag1.html

Hope Chest >> H Words
Hope Chest, definition of term: Hope Chest
hope+chest_pag1.html

Globe Valve >> G Words
Globe Valve, definition of term: Globe Valve
globe+valve_pag1.html

Ball Valve >> B Words
Ball Valve, definition of term: Ball Valve
ball+valve_pag1.html

Bicuspid Valve >> B Words
Bicuspid Valve, definition of term: Bicuspid Valve
bicuspid+valve_pag1.html

Mitral Valve Pr >> M Words
Mitral Valve Pr, definition of term: Mitral Valve Pr
mitral+valve+pr_pag1.html