an enclosed space from which matter, especially air, has been partially removed so that the matter or gas remaining in the space exerts less pressure than the atmosphere (opposed to plenum).
the state or degree of exhaustion in such an enclosed space.
a space not filled or occupied; emptiness; void: The loss left a vacuum in his heart.
a vacuum cleaner or sweeper.
Physics. a state of lowest energy in a quantum field theory.
adjective
of, pertaining to, employing, or producing a vacuum.
(of a hollow container) partly exhausted of gas or air.
pertaining to a device or process that makes use of a vacuum to accomplish a desired task.
noting or pertaining to canning or packaging in which air is removed from the container to prevent deterioration of the contents.
verb (used with object)
to use a vacuum cleaner on; clean with a vacuum cleaner: to vacuum rugs.
to treat with any vacuum device, as a vacuum drier.
verb (used without object)
to use a vacuum cleaner: to vacuum in the dining room.
To do so, astrobiologists took their experiments to space to see how terrestrial life holds up in this harsh environment, where the vacuum, lack of oxygen, ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperatures would seem to preclude it.
Clumps of bacteria could spread life between planets|Paola Rosa-Aquino|August 27, 2020|Popular Science
In fact, inflation comes together with a recipe for the quantum state of fields in the inflationary epoch, a so-called Bunch-Davies vacuum.
Schrödinger’s Cat When Nobody Is Looking - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Daniel Sudarsky|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
That demise would not be a result of expansion or contraction, but due to a phenomenon called vacuum decay.
‘The End of Everything’ explores the ways the universe could perish|Emily Conover|August 4, 2020|Science News
As the pandemic worsened over the summer, the lack of clear state guidance about how and if to reopen schools was creating another vacuum.
How Los Angeles and San Diego Unified Started Driving State Education Policy|Will Huntsberry|July 29, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The vacuum re-creates the downward pull of gravity, planting the person’s feet firmly on the floor of the chamber and drawing bodily fluids toward the legs.
What will astronauts need to survive the dangerous journey to Mars?|Maria Temming|July 15, 2020|Science News
In a vacuum (translation: but for Obama), this could be a killer year for Democrats.
Biggest Midterm Issue? The Obamaphant in the Living Room|Dean Obeidallah|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are also drones which vacuum the wireless spectrum, picking up tweets, emails, and Skype chats.
Hamas Has Already Won Its Rocket War With Israel|Eli Lake|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We found that even in cases where individuals acted alone, in an operational sense, they were not radicalized in a vacuum.
The Syrian War Comes Home to Europe|Ghaffar Hussain|June 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rather, he is pointing out what should be obvious but is too often ignored: The court does not operate in a vacuum.
The True Meaning of the Second Amendment|Malcolm Jones|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But as Feldman argues, “Nobody raises their child in a vacuum.”
One Breakdown Can Mean Losing Your Kid Forever|ProPublica|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tubes which have been evacuated usually are sealed off while they are still connected to the vacuum pump.
Laboratory Manual of Glass-Blowing|Francis C. Frary
So that lead is to the ether, as regards density, very much as the "vacuum" above spoken of is to lead.
The Ether of Space|Oliver Lodge
By a chemical process the air in the chamber was exhausted, instantly causing a vacuum.
Zarlah the Martian|R. Norman Grisewood
She saw only an unanatomical array of vacuum tubes and electrical relays.
Weak on Square Roots|Russell Burton
The greatest part of abstract terms are shadows that hide a vacuum.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
British Dictionary definitions for vacuum
vacuum
/ (ˈvækjʊəm) /
nounpluralvacuumsorvacua (ˈvækjʊə)
a region containing no matter; free spaceCompare plenum (def. 3)
a region in which gas is present at a low pressure
the degree of exhaustion of gas within an enclosed spacea high vacuum; a perfect vacuum
a sense or feeling of emptinesshis death left a vacuum in her life
short for vacuum cleaner
(modifier)of, containing, measuring, producing, or operated by a low gas pressurea vacuum tube; a vacuum brake
verb
to clean (something) with a vacuum cleanerto vacuum a carpet
Word Origin for vacuum
C16: from Latin: an empty space, from vacuus empty
void, gap, vacuity, nothingness, exhaustion, space, rarefaction, free space
Cultural definitions for vacuum
vacuum
The absence of matter.
notes for vacuum
In the natural world, air will flow into regions of vacuum, giving rise to the saying “Nature abhors a vacuum.”
notes for vacuum
The saying is extended informally: in politics, a lack of leadership may be referred to as a vacuum, which will presumably be filled by others rushing in.
A region of space having extremely low gas pressure relative to surrounding pressure. The air pump of a vacuum cleaner, for example, drastically reduces the air pressure inside the device, creating a vacuum; the pressure difference causes air to rush into it, carrying dust and debris along with it.