Steam

water in the form of an invisible gas or vapor.
water changed to this form by boiling, extensively used for the generation of mechanical power, for heating purposes, etc.
the mist formed when the gas or vapor from boiling water condenses in the air.
an exhalation of a vapor or mist.
Informal. power or energy.
to emit or give off steam or vapor.
to rise or pass off in the form of steam or vapor.
to become covered with condensed steam, as a window or other surface (often followed by up).
to generate or produce steam, as in a boiler.
to move or travel by the agency of steam.
to move rapidly or evenly:
He steamed out of the room.
Informal. to be angry or show anger:
Fans are still steaming from Monday night’s sloppy 5-4 loss.
to expose to or treat with steam, as in order to heat, cook, soften, renovate, or the like.
to emit or exhale (steam or vapor).
Informal. to cause to become irked or angry (often followed by up).
to convey by the agency of steam:
to steam the ship safely into port.
heated by or heating with steam:
a steam radiator.
propelled by or propelling with a steam engine.
operated by steam.
conducting steam:
a steam line.
bathed with or affected by steam.
of or relating to steam.
blow / let off steam, Informal. to give vent to one’s repressed emotions, especially by talking or behaving in an unrestrained manner:
Don’t take her remarks too seriously—she was just blowing off steam.
Contemporary Examples

Three Quinoa Recipes for Your Weekend Parties Jane Coxwell May 25, 2013
Paris Fall Fashion Week Ends With Vuitton and Kanye Robin Givhan March 6, 2012
The Most American Pit Stop in the U.S.A. Jane & Michael Stern July 20, 2014
John Grisham’s First Short Story: Part Two John Grisham October 25, 2009
As Xi Jinping Visits the U.S., Obama Gets That China’s Not the Bad Guy Zachary Karabell February 14, 2012

Historical Examples

Automobile Biographies Lyman Horace Weeks
Up the River Oliver Optic
Discipline Charles Kingsley
Diggers in the Earth Eva March Tappan
The Home of the Blizzard Douglas Mawson

noun
the gas or vapour into which water is changed when boiled
the mist formed when such gas or vapour condenses in the atmosphere
any vaporous exhalation
(informal) power, energy, or speed
get up steam

(of a ship, etc) to work up a sufficient head of steam in a boiler to drive an engine
(informal) to go quickly

(informal) let off steam, to release pent-up energy or emotions
under one’s own steam, without the assistance of others
(Austral, slang) cheap wine
(modifier) driven, operated, heated, powered, etc, by steam: a steam radiator
(modifier) treated by steam: steam ironed, steam cleaning
(modifier) (jocular) old-fashioned; outmoded: steam radio
verb
to emit or be emitted as steam
(intransitive) to generate steam, as a boiler, etc
(intransitive) to move or travel by steam power, as a ship, etc
(intransitive) (informal) to proceed quickly and sometimes forcefully
to cook or be cooked in steam
(transitive) to treat with steam or apply steam to, as in cleaning, pressing clothes, etc
n.
v.
steam
(stēm)

see:

blow off steam
full speed (steam) ahead
get up steam
run out of steam
under one’s own steam