vacuum

The word “vacuum” means a space that is completely empty of matter, including air. In plain terms, either total emptiness (no air at all) or the act of cleaning with a vacuum cleaner.

“Vacuum” is pronounced VA-kyoom (/ˈvæ.kjuːm/ in IPA).

Here is “vacuum” used in a sentence: “Sound cannot travel through a vacuum.”

Depending on how it is used, “vacuum” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “vacuum” comes from Latin. From Latin vacuum, "empty space," from vacuus ("empty"). The cleaning sense comes from the suction action of a vacuum cleaner, which mimics pulling air (and dirt) into an empty space.

“Vacuum” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Vacuum” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a space that is completely empty of matter, including air.

The correct spelling is vacuum: one c and a double u. Misspellings like "vaccum" and "vacume" are common because the letter sequence "uu" is rare in English — vacuum is one of the few everyday English words that contains it.

Vacuums is the standard plural in everyday use, for both the cleaning appliances and empty spaces. The Latin plural vacua survives mainly in technical and scientific writing about spaces empty of matter.

Both are used as verbs meaning to clean with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum is standard everywhere ("I vacuumed the stairs"), while hoover — from the Hoover brand name — is an informal British alternative that is rarely used in American English.