| 释义 |
idiomget/pick up steamif a plan, project, idea etc gets up steam, it gradually becomes more important and more people become interested in it:Interest in recycling has slowly picked up steam over the last decade.McCarthy's bid to become Democratic nominee for president was getting up steam. —see also run out of steamNoteWe get this idiom and several others from the time when railway engines operated by steam power. An engine would get up steam when its fire was made hotter at the beginning of its journey. It could also run out of steam if the fire became low or it did not have enough water, and would have to let off steam if the pressure of steam became too high.
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