Added 9 October 2026
vacuum
/ˈvæ.kjuːm/ noun
In Latin: vacuus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about vacuum at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A region of space that contains no matter.
-
The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, such as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.
a vacuum of 26 inches of mercury, or 13 pounds per square inch
- Ellipsis of vacuum cleaner.
verb
Origin
Borrowed from New Latin vacuum (“vacuum”), a subsense of Classical Latin vacuum (“empty space”), a substantivised form of vacuus (“empty”); related to vacāre (“to be empty”). The exercise sense comes from analogy to the sucking action of a vacuum cleaner.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)