Evaporate
/ɪˈvæpəˌreɪt/
verbB1
Definition
Evaporate means when a liquid, like water, changes into a gas (vapor) and goes into the air. This usually happens when the liquid gets warm or is exposed to air for some time. You can see this when water disappears from a wet surface because it turns into vapor.
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See It in Action
To change liquid into gas and disappear into the air
- •The water in the glass will evaporate if left out in the sun.
- •Sweat evaporates from your skin to help cool your body.
- •After the rain, the puddles slowly evaporate under the warm sun.
To disappear or vanish gradually (used in a more figurative way)
- •His hopes seemed to evaporate after hearing the bad news.
- •The excitement in the room evaporated when the event was canceled.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "evaporate" like "dry" but more scientific—it means the liquid doesn't just disappear, it changes into a gas and floats away.
- ✓Picture a puddle of water on the ground slowly getting smaller on a sunny day until it is gone.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see your wet clothes slowly become dry after hanging outside.
- ✓Sounds like "E-vap-or-ate" → Imagine a vapor (steam) rising up and moving away from a cup of hot tea.
- ✓Think of the morning sun making dew disappear from leaves—this is evaporation happening naturally.
- ✓NOT like "melt" (which means solid turns to liquid), "evaporate" means liquid turns to gas and leaves.
- ✓NOT like "boil" (which is fast and bubbles), evaporation can be slow and happens at many temperatures.
- ✓NOT like "dry" (which means no water), evaporation is the process that makes drying happen.
Try Other Words
- •Vaporize: to change liquid into vapor quickly (Use when the change is fast or caused by heat)
- •Disappear: to vanish or no longer be visible (Use in a general sense when something goes away, not just liquids)
- •Dry up: to lose all moisture (Use when talking about something becoming completely dry)
- •Fade away: to disappear slowly (Use in a figurative sense, like feelings or sounds)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "e-" (out) + "vapor" (gas from liquid) + "-ate" (verb ending meaning to cause or become)
- •Etymology: From Latin "evaporare" meaning "to disperse in vapor"
- •Historical development: Used since the 15th century to describe liquids turning into vapor and leaving a surface
- •Modern usage: Common in science, weather, cooking, and everyday life to describe the process of liquid turning into gas and disappearing
Reflect & Connect
•How does evaporation affect the water cycle and life on Earth?
•Can you think of times when something other than water evaporates? How does this change your idea of evaporation?
Fill in the blanks
1.Water evaporates faster when the temperature is ___ and the air is ___.
2.Sweat evaporates from the skin to help ___ the body on a hot day.
3.Unlike melting, evaporate means the liquid turns into ___ and leaves the surface.
4.When the puddle evaporates, the water does not ___ but changes form.
5.The excitement in the room seemed to evaporate ___ after the bad news was announced.
6.Clothes dry because the water in them ___ into the air by evaporation.
7.You can see steam when water evaporates quickly, especially when it is ___.