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Glite Dictionary
steam heating

steam heating

1 3.5
A system that makes hot vapor in a heater to warm rooms through pipes and radiators
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : calefacción por vapor
  • During the inspection, the technician noted that the steam heating was operating at maximum efficiency.

Examples

  • The old apartment building is still equipped with steam heating from the original construction.

  • We installed steam heating in our new house.

  • During winter, steam heating keeps the entire house warm and comfortable.

  • Many New York City buildings rely on steam heating for their primary source of warmth.

  • The steam heating system needs maintenance.

  • The old building is kept warm throughout winter by its efficient steam heating system.

  • They had to repair the steam heating pipes to ensure that every room received adequate warmth.

Synonyms

steam heat
vssteam heating
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A system that heats a building by sending steam to radiators

is the same meaning but uses a different two word phrasing

Surface Forms

steam heating singular
steam heatings plural

Morphology

steam + heating

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'steam' (water vapor) + 'heating' (equipment or process for warming), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes heating that uses steam. This is a literal, productive noun-noun compound found in many languages and follows standard compositional patterns, making it immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Steam heating comes from the simple image of steam, hot water turned to gas, moving through pipes into radiators to heat rooms. So, steam heating means a 'heating system' that uses steam to warm a building.