condensation

[ kon-den-sey-shuhn, -duhn- ]

noun

1. the act of condensing; the state of being condensed. condensed.
2. the result of being made more compact or dense.
3. reduction of a book, speech, statement, or the like, to a shorter or terser form; abridgment.
4. a condensed condensed form:

   Did you read the whole book or just a condensation?

5. a condensed condensed mass.
6. (in nontechnical usage) condensate.
7. the act or process of reducing a gas or vapor to a liquid or solid form.
8. Chemistry. a reaction between two or more organic molecules leading to the formation of a larger molecule and the elimination of a simple molecule such as water or alcohol.
9. Meteorology. the process by which atmospheric water vapor liquefies to form fog, clouds, or the like, or solidifies to form snow or hail.
10. Psychoanalysis. the representation of two or more ideas, memories, feelings, or impulses by one word or image, as in a person's humor, accidental slips, or dreams.
11. Physics. the relative amount by which the density of an elastic medium varies from its average value as a sound wave passes through it.

condensation

/ ˌkɒndɛnˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of condensing, or the state of being condensed
2. anything that has condensed from a vapour, esp on a window
3. chem a type of reaction in which two organic molecules combine to form a larger molecule as well as a simple molecule such as water, methanol, etc
4. anything that has been shortened, esp an abridged version of a book
5. psychoanal
   1. the fusion of two or more ideas, etc, into one symbol, occurring esp in dreams
   2. the reduction of many experiences into one word or action, as in a phobia

condensation

/ kŏn′dən-sā′shən /

1. The change of a gas or vapor to a liquid, either by cooling or by being subjected to increased pressure. When water vapor cools in the atmosphere, for example, it condenses into tiny drops of water, which form clouds.

Derived Forms

• ˌcondenˈsational, adjective

Other Words From

• conden·sation·al adjective
• conden·sative adjective
• noncon·den·sation noun
• over·conden·sation noun
• precon·den·sation noun
• recon·den·sation noun
• subcon·den·sation noun
• uncon·den·sation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of condensation¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin condēnsātiōn-, stem of condēnsātiō; equivalent to condensate + -ion

Example Sentences

Jet condensation trails, or contrails, have spawned wild conspiracy theories alleging mind control and the spreading of disease, but scientists say the real problem is their warming effect.

From BBC

Among them: beaded condensation dripping over products, employees moving racks of coolers between lines without changing personal protective equipment and a sample collected from a pallet jack that tested positive for listeria.

From Los Angeles Times

“When we cloud seed, it is because we do not have enough aerosols or water vapor within the atmosphere to see condensation occur, so we try and force it through cloud seeding,” says Jill Trepanier, an expert in extreme weather phenomena from Louisiana State University.

From BBC

As the hot air rises higher in the atmosphere, the water vapor released by combustion will condense, aided by the presence of smoke particles that act as “condensation nuclei” and allow the water to form droplets.

From Los Angeles Times

But it was a sweltering afternoon, and glistening beads of condensation dribbled down the outside of the plastic cup, which was topped with generous amounts of thick coconut cream drizzled with honey.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• condensate