vapors
vapors Lexical Profile
vapors Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American Diffused moisture or other substances suspended in the air, such as mist, fumes, or steam.
"The lab technician wore a respirator to avoid inhaling toxic chemical vapors."
American An archaic or humorous term for a sudden feeling of faintness, nervous agitation, or depression (usually preceded by "the").
"In Victorian novels, heroines frequently suffered from the vapors upon hearing shocking news."
• verb
American To rise or pass off in the form of vapor, steam, or mist.
"Morning moisture quickly vapors from the warm asphalt as the sun rises."
American To talk idly, boastfully, or pretentiously.
"He often vapors about his grand business connections to anyone who will listen."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Vapors" is the standard American spelling, whereas "vapours" is used in British English. In historical or humorous contexts, "the vapors" refers specifically to an archaic diagnosis of faintness, nervous weakness, or hysteria.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English via Anglo-French and Latin "vapor," meaning "steam, exhalation, or heat." The archaic medical sense of "the vapors" arose in the 17th century from the belief that internal bodily exhalations rose to the brain and caused fainting or melancholy.