Vapour
/ˈveɪ.pər/noun
A visible mist or gaseous substance, especially one formed by heating a liquid.
Did you know?Its probable Proto-Indo-European ancestor also produced words connected with boiling and smoke, linking ordinary vapour to ancient images of transformation through heat.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷep-
“To smoke, boil, or produce heat; a reconstructed ancestral root”
Classical Latin
Latin
vapor
“Steam, heat, exhalation, or smoky emanation”
Late Latin
Latin
vapōrem
“Accusative form of vapor, referring to steam or hot vapor”
Old French
Old French
vapour
“Steam, mist, or exhalation”
14th Century
Middle English
vapour
“A visible mist or gaseous exhalation; also a bodily or atmospheric emanation”
Modern English
English
vapour
“A gaseous substance or visible mist, especially in British spelling”
Explore more surprising origins