puff of steam
1
3.5
- noun
- /pʌf ʌv stim/
:
bocanada de vapor
- He breathed out, creating a puff of steam that quickly disappeared in the chilly morning air.
- a little puff of steam
- a great puff of steam
Examples
-
The train whistle screams loudly below in the valley, and turning nervously, Skinny can see a puff of steam above the distant trees.
Fiction book (1993) -
"In the puff of steam that was her breath, the name sounded like a stranger's.
Fiction book (1994) -
His exhalations produced puffs of steam in the cool air.
Fiction book (1998) -
Usually they were across the street or on the corner, drinking coffee from paper cups, exhaling little puffs of steam in the cold February air.
Fiction book (1999) -
She opened the shower door all the way, letting out a puff of steam, and stepped out.
Fiction book (1996) -
Behind them, water bubbled quietly in huge brass urns that, from time to time, emitted small puffs of steam.
Fiction book (1991) -
Their team had been dropped off by helicopter near the summit to monitor activity, and were routinely surveying when partway through their work they noticed puffs of steam rising from the middle of the grayish-green, sulfurous lake.
Blog text (34) -
"Would you call that a dangerous animal?" asked Mr. Brown, pointing to Ermentrude, who was proudly rocking Marmaduke's perambulator back and forth and singing to herself, blowing little puffs of steam and smoke with every note.
Academic text (1997) -
As she stepped out of the hot shower, a puff of steam escaped into the air.
-
The kettle let out a loud whistle, signaling that it was time for a puff of steam to rise from the spout.
Synonyms
60
3.2
A short puff of air that carries a smell
24
1.5
A short light burst of air, smoke, or breath
3
8.8
A small puff of air carrying a faint smell
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase's meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'puff' (a brief light gust or small cloud) + 'steam' (vapor), with the preposition 'of' simply linking them; together they denote a short burst or emission of steam. This is a common, literal noun phrase pattern found cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Puff of steam comes from the quick white puff you see when a kettle or an old train lets out hot steam. That's why it means 'a short, sudden burst or emission of steam'.