Ships powered by steam engines, or devices that cook food using hot steam, or something that travels fast and powerfully.
From 'steam' (Old English 'steam' meaning vapor) + '-er' (agent suffix). The word emerged in the early 19th century when steam-powered ships revolutionized ocean travel. Originally referred to the ships themselves, then broadened to other steam-powered devices.
Steamships were the internet of the 1800s—they collapsed vast distances, made reliable schedules possible, and connected the globe in ways that fundamentally changed trade, immigration, and warfare. A steamer could cross the Atlantic in two weeks instead of two months.
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