vacuumEnglishOxford American Thesaurusvacuum noun 1 the experiment has to be conducted in a vacuum: empty space, emptiness, void, nothingness, vacuity, vacancy; rare voidness, nihility. 2 his exit would leave a power vacuum: gap, space, absence, lack, deficiency, blank, lacuna. ▷antonyms continuity. 3 a brush will remove some dust if you do not have a vacuum: vacuum cleaner; British, informal vac; trademark Hoover.verb the carpets must be vacuumed: vacuum-clean; British hoover.