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head of steam

noun

Etymology

The figurative sense is by metaphor from the literal one: the need of the boiler of a steam locomotive to exceed a minimum amount of pressure before the locomotive could start moving.

Definitions

  1. A significant amount of energy, vigour or momentum, sufficient to make progress or…

    A significant amount of energy, vigour or momentum, sufficient to make progress or succeed in a task.

    • "They were keeping a full head of steam, and a profound rumbling, as of an empty furniture van trotting over a bridge, made a sustained bass to all the other noises of the place."
    • Soon after passing the site of Stretfordbridge Junction Edwards opened out to 25 per cent; boiler pressure was still full up, and Taylor was spreading what was left of the fire so as to arrive in Shrewsbury with only a light head of steam.
    • [literal sense] Caffiers and Boulogne were passed with a full boiler and a full head of steam, and going up Neufchâtel I couldn't stop her blowing off.

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically

    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see head, steam.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for head of steam. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA