different between vacuum vs crevasse

English

Alternative forms

• vacuüm (rare)

Etymology

From Latin vacuum (“an empty space, void”), noun use of neuter of vacuus (“empty”), related to vacare (“be empty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?væ.kju?m/, /?væ.kju?.?m/

Noun

vacuum (plural vacuums or (rare) vacua) (see usage notes)

1. A region of space that contains no matter.
2. (plural only "vacuums") A vacuum cleaner.
3. 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

4. (physics) A spacetime having tensors of zero magnitude

Usage notes

• The Latin in vacuo is sometimes used instead of in a vacuum (in free space).

Synonyms

• (a region of space that contains no matter): vacancy, void
• (vacuum cleaner): hoover (British)

Antonyms

• (region of space that contains no matter): plenum

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

vacuum (third-person singular simple present vacuums, present participle vacuuming, simple past and past participle vacuumed)

1. (transitive) To clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner.
2. (intransitive) To use a vacuum cleaner.
3. (transitive, databases) To optimise a database or database table by physically removing deleted tuples.

Synonyms

• (transitive sense): to hoover (British)
• (intransitive sense): to do the hoovering, to hoover (British)

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.k??m/

Noun

vacuum m (plural vacuums)

1. vacuum (space containing no matter)

Synonyms

• vide

Descendants

• Turkish: vakum

Further reading

• “vacuum” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Adjective

vacuum

1. accusative neuter singular of vacuus

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin vacuum

Noun

vacuum n (plural vacuumuri)

1. vacuum

Declension

Spanish

Alternative forms

• vácuum (recommended)

Noun

vacuum m (plural vacuums)

1. vacuum

English

Etymology

From French crevasse. Doublet of crevice.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æs
• IPA^(key): /k???væs/

Noun

crevasse (plural crevasses)

1. A crack or fissure in a glacier or snowfield; a chasm.
2. (US) A breach in a canal or river bank.
3. (by extension) Any cleft or fissure.
   • 2010, Scott R. Riley, A Lost Hero Found (page 111)

     I moved my left hand to the small of her back, just above her belt-line and stroked the peach fuzz in her crevasse with my fingers.

4. (figuratively) A discontinuity or “gap” between the accounted variables and an observed outcome.
   • 1954: Gilbert Ryle, Dilemmas: The Tarner Lectures, 1953, dilemma vii: Perception, page 105 (The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press)

     […] he laments that he can find no physiological phenomenon answering to his subject’s winning a race, or losing it. Between his terminal output of energy and his victory or defeat there is a mysterious crevasse. Physiology is baffled.

Translations

Verb

crevasse (third-person singular simple present crevasses, present participle crevassing, simple past and past participle crevassed)

1. (intransitive) To form crevasses.
2. (transitive) To fissure with crevasses.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.vas/
• Rhymes: -as

Etymology 1

Old French crevace, crever +? -asse

Noun

crevasse f (plural crevasses)

1. crevasse

Etymology 2

Inflected forms

Verb

crevasse

1. first-person singular imperfect subjunctive of crever

Further reading

• “crevasse” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• crevassa (dated)

Noun

crevasse f (plural crevasses)

1. (glaciology) crevasse (a crack or fissure in a glacier or snow field)