steam across (something or some place)

steam across (something or some place)

1. To travel across some place or thing under the power of a steam engine. The ship steamed across the channel in record time. The new express train steamed across the country at hitherto unheard of speeds.

2. To walk across some place in a very angry and animated manner. The child threw her toy on the ground and steamed across the room in a huff. I could hear the boss steaming across the office to berate the marketing department for their blunder.

See also: across, steam

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

steam across something

[for a ship] to cross a body of water under power. (Originally referred to steam engines, but now can be any sort of engine.) How long does it take to steam across the Atlantic these days? We steamed across the bay in less than an hour.

See also: across, steam

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.