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Glite Dictionary
Stanley Steamer

Stanley Steamer

1 9.9
A car that runs on steam made in the early 1900s
  • noun
  • /ˈstænli ˈstiːmər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : Stanley Steamer
  • In 1904, the Stanley Steamer became one of the fastest cars on the road, achieving impressive speeds for its time.

Examples

  • Early in the 1900s, we had the Stanley Steamer and even electric cars on the road.

    Blog text (24)

  • It's a Stanley Steamer.

    Seabiscuit (2003)

  • The Stanley Steamer was a popular steam-powered automobile that revolutionized travel in the early 20th century.

  • Many classic car enthusiasts admire the Stanley Steamer for its unique design and engineering.

Surface Forms

Stanley Steamer singular
Stanley Steamers plural

Morphology

Stanley + steamer

The word 'steamer' clearly signals a steam-powered device, so a learner who knows both constituents could infer this refers to something powered by steam. However, 'Stanley' is a proper name and gives no cue that the referent is specifically an automobile rather than a ship or appliance, so the exact vehicle sense requires cultural/encyclopedic knowledge.

Etymology

Stanley Steamer is named after the Stanley brothers, who built cars that ran on steam. Their vehicles used a hot tank that made steam like a large kettle, so people called them 'steamers', and today the name means a 'steam-powered car'.