noun
vacuum
VA-kyoom
noun
1
A space that is completely empty of matter, including air.
"Sound cannot travel through a vacuum."
verb
1
To clean a surface using a vacuum cleaner.
"She vacuumed the living room before the guests arrived."
"Can you vacuum under the sofa while I dust?"
How to Use Vacuum
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither total emptiness (no air at all) or the act of cleaning with a vacuum cleaner.
Common mistake
In everyday speech "vacuum" as a verb almost always means cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, not the scientific sense of empty space.
Common pairings
vacuum the carpet
a vacuum cleaner
power vacuum (figurative)
Word Forms
vacuumed past tense, vacuums singular
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Sound cannot travel through a _____.
Etymology
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.