vacuum

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Physics, Cleaning

vac·u·um1 /ˈvækjuəm, -kjʊm/ ●●○ noun  1. [countable]HPEMPTY a space that is completely empty of all gas, especially one from which all the air has been taken away 真空 →4  See picture on 见图 Page A3 Cleaning 清洁；打扫2. [countable]DHC a vacuum cleaner 真空吸尘器3  [singular]NOT HAVE a situation in which someone or something is missing or lacking 空白；空虚create/leave a vacuum (in something) Her husband’s death left a vacuum in her life. 丈夫的去世使她的生活变得空虚。power/political/moral etc vacuum the political vacuum caused by the ban on Communist Party activity 禁止共产党活动引发的政治真空状态4  in a vacuum SEPARATEexisting completely separately from other people or things and having no connection with them 在封闭状态中；与外界隔绝 The process of learning a language does not take place in a vacuum. 学习语言的过程在封闭状态下无法进行。n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: a situation in which someone or something is missing or lackingverbscreate a vacuumHis sudden departure created a vacuum at the head of the company.leave a vacuumThe disappearance of religious beliefs has left a vacuum in many people's lives.fill a vacuumWhat political ideas have filled the vacuum left by the fall of communism?adjectivesADJECTIVES/NOUN + vacuum a power vacuumThe leader's sudden death created a power vacuum.a political vacuumMilitary leaders stepped in to fill the political vacuum.a moral vacuum (=a lack of moral standards)Many children are growing up in a moral vacuum.a policy vacuumThere is a policy vacuum on climate change.

Examples from the Corpus

vacuum• His adolescence and young manhood had occurred in a vacuum.• This made a partial vacuum, which kept the cardboard attached to the mouth of the glass.• He shook religion out of her mind, as it were, and into the vacuum rushed something rather disagreeable.power/political/moral etc vacuum• Young people from welfare-dependent single-parent families just aren't artful dodgers ready to graduate into serious crime and a moral vacuum.• Nevertheless the discretion is not to be exercised in a moral vacuum.• In both cases the result of improvement is a dehumanized landscape and something like a moral vacuum.• A power vacuum would probably destroy his hopes for a smooth transition of authority.• In the post-Nehru political vacuum, this was simply a recipe for instability.• Pavlov had warned on Aug. 13 of a potential power vacuum, unless the centre retained sufficient economic leverage.• In the power vacuum following the trials, Berlusconi became Prime Minister.• There is no satisfying solution to the moral vacuum that is created when one human being murders another.

Related topics: Cleaning

vacuum2 ●●○ verb [intransitive, transitive]  DHCto clean using a vacuum cleaner 用真空吸尘器打扫［清洁］ →5 see picture at 见图 clean2→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

vacuum• He vacuums a third time, for a few seconds longer.• I loved getting the housework done during the week and then playing on the weekend, all the vacuuming done.• Meanwhile, his receptionist can not vacuum fat, nor can she type as fast.• His chair having to be replaced after vacuuming in exactly the same position as before.• The inside has been vacuumed recently, too.• I stay in, play Bach on the earphones and vacuum the broadloom.• They sent him along to vacuum the carpets, but he wound up with his very own theatre to practice in.• Have you vacuumed the carpets?Origin vacuum1 (1500-1600) Latin vacuus; → VACUOUS

vac·u·um1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1vacuum2 verbLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

gas, all especially completely a space that of empty is Corpus

vacuum

I

vac‧u‧um¹ /ˈvækjuəm, -kjʊm/ noun1. [countable] a space that is completely empty of all gas, especially one from which all the air has been taken away
2. [countable] a vacuum cleaner
3. [singular] a situation in which someone or something is missing or lacking
    create/leave a vacuum (in something)
    Her husband’s death left a vacuum in her life.
    power/political/moral etc vacuum
    the political vacuum caused by the ban on Communist Party activity
4. in a vacuum existing completely separately from other people or things and having no connection with them:
    The process of learning a language does not take place in a vacuum.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ verbs
   ▪ create a vacuum His sudden departure created a vacuum at the head of the company.
   ▪ leave a vacuum The disappearance of religious beliefs has left a vacuum in many people's lives.
   ▪ fill a vacuum What political ideas have filled the vacuum left by the fall of communism?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + vacuum
   ▪ a power vacuum The leader's sudden death created a power vacuum.
   ▪ a political vacuum Military leaders stepped in to fill the political vacuum.
   ▪ a moral vacuum (=a lack of moral standards) Many children are growing up in a moral vacuum.
   ▪ a policy vacuum There is a policy vacuum on climate change.

II

vacuum² verb [intransitive and transitive]

to clean using a vacuum cleaner