See also: vacuum

English edit

Etymology edit

From Dutch vacuüm, from Latin vacuum, the substantive neuter of the adjective vacuus (empty); spelt with a diæresis added to specify the trisyllabic pronunciation [ˈvæ.kjuː.əm] (as opposed to the disyllabic * [ˈvæ.kjuːm]).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

vacuüm (plural vacua or vacuä)

  1. (rare, chiefly non-native) Alternative spelling of vacuum
    • 1996, T. A. M. Schoenmakers, Het Amerikaanse Neoconservatisme, 1968–1988, page 14:
      Franklin Roosevelt was showing that democracy was capable of taking care of its own; the New Deal was filling the vacuüm of faith which we had inherited from the cynicism and complacency of the twenties, and from the breadlines of the early thirtees.

Quotations edit

Translations edit

Dutch edit

Etymology edit

From Latin vacuum, the substantivized neuter of the adjective vacuus (empty).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈvaː.ky.ʏm/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: va‧cu‧um

Noun edit

vacuüm n (plural vacuüms or vacua, diminutive vacuümpje n)

  1. A vacuum
  2. (figuratively) emptiness, meaninglessness

Derived terms edit

Adjective edit

vacuüm (not comparable)

  1. In or constituting a vacuum.
  2. (figuratively) empty, meaningless
    • 2007, Dimitri Verhulst, De helaasheid der dingen, Uitgeverij Contact, Amsterdam/Antwerpen, →ISBN, page 192:
      Er werden handen geschud en vacuüm getrokken zinnen gewisseld, en de vrienden van het volk verlieten het bejaardentehuis, op naar hun volgende opdracht, de cameraregistratie van een volksdans misschien.
      Hands were shaken and phrases with empty meaning were exchanged, and the people’s friends left the rest home, on to their next mission, maybe the photographic documentation of a folk dance.

Inflection edit

Inflection of vacuüm
uninflected vacuüm
inflected vacuüm
comparative
positive
predicative/adverbial vacuüm
indefinite m./f. sing. vacuüm
n. sing. vacuüm
plural vacuüm
definite vacuüm
partitive

Descendants edit

  • Indonesian: vakum