evaporation
(ɪˌvæpəˈreɪʃən)
Also 4 -cion, 7 evaperation.
[a. Fr. évaporation, ad. L. ēvapōrātiōn-em, n. of action f. ēvapōrā-re: see evaporate v.]
1. The action or process of conversion into vapour; the action of passing off in vapour; an instance of this.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. vii. (1495) 556 Quycke syluer passyth out by evaporacion in sethyng and in smokynge. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 480 The oyle also [is] kept the better from euaporation. 1799 Kirwan Geol. Ess. 48 The great evaporation that took place soon after the creation, as soon as the solids began to crystallize. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. xxi. §1 (1819) 330 By evaporation, water is carried up into the air. 1813 Sir H. Davy Agric. Chem. ii. (1814) 37 Cold is produced during evaporation. 1871 B. Stewart Heat §110 Evaporation, where a liquid is converted into a gas quietly, and without the formation of bubbles. |
b. fig.| 1824 Byron Juan xvi. ix, The evaporation of a joyous day Is like the last glass of champagne. 1852 Gladstone Glean. IV. xliii. 174 It cannot be imposed upon the agent by a third party without the instant evaporation of all its savour. |
2. The action or process of driving off the liquid part of a substance in the form of vapour, by means of heat; an instance of the same.
| 1718 Quincy Compl. Disp. 32/2 The Solution..would part with its Salts but very sparingly, without Evaporation. 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 652 These alternate filtrations and evaporations. 1845 Budd Dis. Liver 23 When obtained by evaporation from alcohol [Bilin] reddens litmus paper. 1854 Ronalds & Richardson Chem. Technol. (ed. 2) I. 277 The most simple method of evaporation..is to place the liquid in a pan or vessel immediately over a fire. 1875 Ure Dict. Arts III. 945 s.v. Sugar, The next process in sugar-refining is the evaporation of the clarified syrup to the granulating or crystallising point. |
3. The action or process
a. of exhaling moisture;
† b. of emitting (breath, fire, etc.);
† c. of perspiring insensibly. Also
fig.| a. 1551 Turner Herbal i. O iij b, If it [Daucus] be layde wythout it wyll greatly dryue furth by euaporation. 1669 Boyle Contn. New Exp. i. (1682) 184 The great Evaporation I have observed even in Winter, of Fruits. 1807 J. E. Smith Phys. Bot. 186 The use of a tin box..for the purpose of restraining the evaporation of plants. 1887 H. M. Ward tr. Sachs' Phys. Plants iii. xxv. 227 Evaporation takes place through the leaves. |
| b. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. ii. 333 Euen in the sea are seen euaporations of fire. 1599 Sandys Europæ Spec. (1632) 124 The best way..is to let the good men chide a while hartily together..so necessarie are these evaporations to the minds of the multitude. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxi. 161 The fuligenous exhalations wanting evaporation recoyle upon the flame and choake it. 1754 Johnson Adventurer No. 137 ¶4 To reckon the hours laid out in these compositions as..suffered to fume away in useless evaporations. |
| c. 1626 Bacon Sylva (1631) §968 So in Pestilent feuers, the Intention is to expell the Infection by Sweat and Euapouration. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Evaporation..In Physick, a discharging of Humours through the Pores of the Body. 1721–1800 in Bailey. |
4. concr. The product of the evaporating process; exhalation, fumes; the amount evaporated.
| 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 35 b, Pollio prolonged his lyfe certayne dayes with the evaporation of honye. 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 151 Such heates..doe proceed out of the spirits only, either niterous or sulphurus, lifted up into euaporations. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 57 The best Glasses..would not represent to me, the evaporations of Camphire. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth (J.), Evaporations are at some times greater, according to the greater heat of the sun. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. I. 245 The nocturnal emanations of leaves, and continual evaporations of flowers and of fruits, do not diminish in quality in winter..only in quantity. 1856 Stanley Sinai & Pal. vii. (1858) 290 The lake, with the..mist of its own evaporations floating over its surface. |
| fig. 1606 Proc. agst. Traitors in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) III. 20 This letter should prove to be nothing but the evaporation of an idle brain. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. iv. §5 The vain evaporations of his discontentment. |
† 5. Medical treatment by means of vapour;
concr. vapour, a vapour-bath.
Obs.| [1585 Lloyd Treas. Health F v, Euaporatio is when the diseased membre is holden in y⊇ hote vapour of some decoctyon.] 1601 Holland Pliny II. 424 Good it is to apply spunges to those accidents and infirmities of the body which require euaperation. 1610 P. Barrough Meth. Physick iii. lxii. (1639) 198 If the evill be waxed old, you must use suffumigations, and evaporations made of aromatick things. |
6. attrib., as
evaporation-gage.
| 1874 Knight Dict. Mech., Evaporation-gage, a graduated glass measure..to determine the ratio of evaporation in a given exposure. |