Vapouriser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that heats a liquid or herbal material until it becomes a vapour that can be breathed in
2. An apparatus which converts a substance into a fine mist or steam so it can be inhaled
3. A gadget that produces vapour from a liquid or plant matter, typically used as an alternative to smoking

Etymology: "Vapouriser" is a plain formation: the verb "vapourise," meaning to turn into vapour or spray, with the agent suffix "-er" added to name a thing that does that job. A vapouriser is therefore a device that turns liquid into a fine mist or vapour. The base verb "vapourise" is built from "vapour," which came into English through Old French from Latin "vapor," meaning steam, breath or exhalation. The "-ise" ending turns it into a verb meaning to convert something into vapour. The "-er" ending turns that verb into a noun for the machine that performs the action. The spelling "vapouriser" with a "u" is the British form, matching "vapour" rather than the American "vaporizer." Both spellings name the same kind of device.