vacuum

Meanings

Noun

• A region of space that contains no matter.
• A vacuum cleaner.
• The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, such as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.
• A spacetime having tensors of zero magnitude.

Verb

• To clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner.
• To use a vacuum cleaner.
• To optimise a database or database table by physically removing deleted tuples.

Origin

• From Latin vacuum ("an empty space, void"), noun use of neuter of vacuus, related to vaco.