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head of steam. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
head of steam, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
head of steam in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
head of steam (plural heads of steam)
- (idiomatic) A significant amount of energy, vigour or momentum, sufficient to make progress or succeed in a task.
1919, Joseph Conrad, Typhoon:"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."
1945 September and October, O. S. Nock, “Wartime Locomotive Working on the G.W.R.—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 255: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.
1961 March, "Dalmore", “Driving and firing modern French steam steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, page 150:[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.
2011 January 25, Paul Fletcher, “Arsenal 3 - 0 Ipswich (agg 3 - 1)”, in BBC:Arsenal were starting to work up a head of steam and Tractor Boys boss Paul Jewell cut an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline.
2021 March 10, Greg Morse, “Telling the railway's story on film”, in RAIL, number 926, page 43:[literal sense] The film is really about the driver taking control of his charge... the fireman creating a fine head of steam... the signalman keeping the traffic moving safely... [...].
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see head, steam.