Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Exhaust?

\Ex*haust"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Exhausted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Exhausting}.] [L. exhaustus, p. p. of exhaurire; ex out + haurire, haustum, to draw, esp. water; perhaps akin to Icel. asua to sprinkle, pump.] 1. To draw or let out wholly; to drain off completely; as, to exhaust the water of a well; the moisture of the earth is exhausted by evaporation. 2. To empty by drawing or letting out the contents; as, to exhaust a well, or a treasury. 3. To drain, metaphorically; to use or expend wholly, or till the supply comes to an end; to deprive wholly of strength; to use up; to weary or tire out; to wear out; as, to exhaust one's strength, patience, or resources. A decrepit, exhausted old man at fifty-five. --Motley. 4. To bring out or develop completely; to discuss thoroughly; as, to exhaust a subject. 5. (Chem.) To subject to the action of various solvents in order to remove all soluble substances or extractives; as, to exhaust a drug successively with water, alcohol, and ether. {Exhausted receiver}. (Physics) See under {Receiver}. Syn: To spend; consume; tire out; weary.
\Ex*haust"\, a. [L. exhaustus, p. p.] 1. Drained; exhausted; having expended or lost its energy. 2. Pertaining to steam, air, gas, etc., that is released from the cylinder of an engine after having preformed its work. {Exhaust draught}, a forced draught produced by drawing air through a place, as through a furnace, instead of blowing it through. {Exhaust fan}, a fan blower so arranged as to produce an exhaust draught, or to draw air or gas out of a place, as out of a room in ventilating it. {Exhaust nozzle}, {Exhaust orifice} (Steam Engine), the blast orifice or nozzle. {Exhaust pipe} (Steam Engine), the pipe that conveys exhaust steam from the cylinder to the atmosphere or to the condenser. {Exhaust port} (Steam Engine), the opening, in the cylinder or valve, by which the exhaust steam escapes. {Exhaust purifier} (Milling), a machine for sorting grains, or purifying middlings by an exhaust draught. --Knight. {Exhaust steam} (Steam Engine), steam which is allowed to escape from the cylinder after having been employed to produce motion of the piston. {Exhaust valve} (Steam Engine), a valve that lets exhaust steam escape out of a cylinder.
\Ex*haust"\, n. (Steam Engine) 1. The steam let out of a cylinder after it has done its work there. 2. The foul air let out of a room through a register or pipe provided for the purpose.