Boiloff

/ˈbɔɪlɔf/ noun

Definition

The loss of liquid through evaporation due to boiling, or the venting of pressurized vapor from a container to prevent overpressurization.

Etymology

Compound of 'boil' and 'off' (from Old English 'of'), creating a particle verb meaning to remove by boiling. Used in technical contexts, especially in aerospace and cryogenics.

Kelly Says

Boiloff is a nightmare for rocket scientists—when storing liquid hydrogen or liquid nitrogen at incredibly cold temperatures, the boiloff rate (how fast it evaporates away) can determine whether a launch window is viable or if you lose your expensive fuel.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.