Gas vs. Steam — What's the Difference?

A state of matter with freely moving molecules.

Steam is water in the gas phase. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization.

Combustible gases used as fuel.

The vapour into which water is converted when heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air

Gases used in aerosols and pressurized containers.

Give off or produce steam

Air-like substances that can spread out indefinitely.

Cook (food) by heating it in steam from boiling water

Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g.

(of a ship or train) travel somewhere under steam power

A substance or matter in a state in which it will expand freely to fill the whole of a container, having no fixed shape (unlike a solid) and no fixed volume (unlike a liquid)

Be or become extremely agitated or angry

Short for gasoline

Hot water vapor produced especially by boiling liquid water.

An entertaining or amusing person or situation

Hot, pressurized water vapor used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical power.

Kill or harm by exposure to gas

Power generated by the expansion of boiling water as it turns to vapor

Talk excessively about trivial matters

Steam heating.

Fill the tank of (a motor vehicle) with petrol

Condensed water vapor in the form of a mist or cloud

Very amusing or entertaining

Power; energy

The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by relatively low density and viscosity, relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature, the ability to diffuse readily, and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.

To produce or emit steam

A substance in the gaseous state.

To become or rise up as steam

Any of various mixtures of flammable gases used for lighting, heating, or cooking.

To become misted or covered with steam

Gasoline.

To move by means of steam power.

The speed control of a gasoline engine. Used with the

(Informal) To become very angry; fume.

A gaseous asphyxiant, irritant, or poison.

To expose to steam, as in cooking.

A gaseous anesthetic, such as nitrous oxide.

To cover or mist with steam

Flatulence.

(Informal) To make angry

Flatus.

The vapor formed when water changes from the liquid phase to the gas phase.

(Slang) Idle or boastful talk.

The suspended condensate (cloud) formed by water vapour when it encounters colder air

(Slang) Someone or something exceptionally exciting or entertaining

, fog

To treat chemically with gas.

Exhaled breath into cold air below the dew point of the exhalation

To overcome, disable, or kill with poisonous fumes.

Pressurized water vapour used for heating, cooking, or to provide mechanical energy.

To give off gas.

The act of cooking by steaming.

(Slang) To talk excessively.

(figuratively) Internal energy for motive power.

Matter in an intermediate state between liquid and plasma that can be contained only if it is fully surrounded by a solid (or in a bubble of liquid, or held together by gravitational pull); it can condense into a liquid, or can (rarely) become a solid directly by deposition.

(figuratively) Pent-up anger.

(uncountable) A flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel, e.g. for cooking, heating, electricity generation or as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles, especially natural gas.

A steam-powered vehicle.

Poison gas.

Travel by means of a steam-powered vehicle.

A chemical element or compound in such a state.

(obsolete) Any exhalation.

(countable) A hob on a gas cooker.

(fencing) Fencing without the use of any electric equipment.

(uncountable) Methane or other waste gases trapped in one's belly as a result of the digestive process; flatus.

To cook with steam.

(slang) A humorous or entertaining event or person.

(transitive) To expose to the action of steam; to apply steam to for softening, dressing, or preparing.

(slang) Frothy or boastful talk; chatter.

(intransitive) To produce or vent steam.

(baseball) A fastball.

(intransitive) To rise in vapour; to issue, or pass off, as vapour.

Arterial or venous blood gas.

To become angry; to fume; to be incensed.

Marijuana, typically of high quality.

To make angry.

, a light derivative of petroleum used as fuel.

(intransitive) To be covered with condensed water vapor.

Ellipsis of gas pedal

(intransitive) To travel by means of steam power.

An internal virtual currency used in Ethereum to pay for certain operations, such as blockchain transactions.

To move with great or excessive purposefulness.

(transitive) To attack or kill with poison gas.

(obsolete) To exhale.

To talk in a boastful or vapid way; chatter.

Old-fashioned; from before the digital age.

To impose upon by talking boastfully.

The elastic, aëriform fluid into which water is converted when heated to the boiling point; water in the state of vapor.

(intransitive) To emit gas.

The mist formed by condensed vapor; visible vapor; - so called in popular usage.

(transitive) To impregnate with gas.

Any exhalation.

(transitive) To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers.

To emit steam or vapor.

(US) To give a vehicle more fuel in order to accelerate it.

To rise in vapor; to issue, or pass off, as vapor.

(US) To fill (a vehicle's fuel tank) with fuel.

To move or travel by the agency of steam.

(slang) comical, zany; fun, amusing.

To generate steam; as, the boiler steams well.

An aëriform fluid; - a term used at first by chemists as synonymous with air, but since restricted to fluids supposed to be permanently elastic, as oxygen, hydrogen, etc., in distinction from vapors, as steam, which become liquid on a reduction of temperature. In present usage, since all of the supposed permanent gases have been liquified by cold and pressure, the term has resumed nearly its original signification, and is applied to any substance in the elastic or aëriform state.

To exhale.

A complex mixture of gases, of which the most important constituents are marsh gas, olefiant gas, and hydrogen, artificially produced by the destructive distillation of gas coal, or sometimes of peat, wood, oil, resin, etc. It gives a brilliant light when burned, and is the common gas used for illuminating purposes.

To expose to the action of steam; to apply steam to for softening, dressing, or preparing; as, to steam wood; to steamcloth; to steam food, etc.

Same as gasoline; - a shortened form. Also, the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term " step on the gas".

Water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere

The accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term " step on the gas".

Travel by means of steam power;

Same as natural gas.

Emit steam;

An exceptionally enjoyable event; a good time; as, The concert was a gas.

Rise as vapor

To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers; as, to gas thread.

Get very angry;

To impregnate with gas; as, to gas lime with chlorine in the manufacture of bleaching powder.

Clean by means of steaming;

To expose to a poisonous or noxious gas

Cook something by letting steam pass over it;

The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity; relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature; the ability to diffuse readily; and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container

The vapor that comes from boiling water.

A fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely

Used to describe the energy phase of water vapor.

A volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines

A mist of cooling water vapor.

A state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal

Used for sterilizing in medical settings.

A pedal that controls the throttle valve;

Cooking with the vapor from boiling water.

A fossil fuel in the gaseous state; used for cooking and heating homes

Attack with gas; subject to gas fumes;

Show off

Gases are often used in medical applications.

Gas is a state of matter that is naturally gaseous at room temperature, while steam is the gas phase of water after it has vaporized from liquid.

When steam condenses, it turns back into liquid water.

Yes, in American English, 'gas' can refer to gasoline (a liquid fuel) as well as the gaseous state of matter.

At standard atmospheric pressure, water turns to steam at 100°C (212°F).

Yes, steam is a type of gas formed when water vaporizes.

Yes, as water can evaporate at lower temperatures, creating steam.

Yes, gases can be compressed, which is a property that distinguishes them from liquids and solids.

'Gas' is a general term for the state of matter, while 'steam' specifically refers to the gas form of water.

No, steam can be invisible; what is often seen is water droplets suspended in the air, which is actually water vapor.

No, many gases are colorless and odorless; odors are often added to detect leaks, as with natural gas.

Not always; for example, liquid nitrogen is much colder than nitrogen gas at room temperature.

Dry steam is steam that does not contain any water droplets; it is entirely in the gas phase.

Technically, 'steam' refers only to vaporized water; vapors from other substances are just called gas or vapors.

Steam can drive turbines or pistons by expanding and applying pressure as it converts from water to steam.

Yes, steam cleaning is a method that uses steam for its ability to loosen dirt and kill bacteria.