verb

evaporate

ih-VAP-uh-rayt/ɪˈvæpəreɪt/

To turn from liquid into vapor.

Water evaporates from the cloth as it dries in the sunlight.

A wet cloth hanging in sunlight becomes visibly drier, with small water droplets diminishing and sparse upward arrows indicating liquid entering the air.

Etymology

eLatinout

+vaporLatinsteam

+ateLatinparticipial ending

The pieces express dispersing something outward as steam. The verb first described drawing something off as vapor, then also came to describe a liquid itself turning into vapor.

In context

SciShow Kids3:00

When the water in the fog starts to heat up, it begins to evaporate, or to turn back into water vapor

Where Does Fog Come From? | Weather Science | SciShow Kids

More examples

Sweat cools your skin by evaporating.
Leave the lid off so some water can evaporate.
The rubbing alcohol evaporated quickly from the countertop.

Forms

evaporate · evaporates · evaporated · evaporating

evaporation noun — The change from liquid into vapor.

evaporative adjective — Causing or involving liquid becoming vapor.

Similar words

vaporize: Often describes actively turning a liquid into gas using heat.
boil: Specifically involves vapor bubbles forming throughout a liquid when heated.