Afzuigt

Afzuigt is the present tense third-person singular form of the Dutch verb afzuigen, meaning to draw in or remove a substance by suction. In everyday language it refers to the action of sucking away air, gas, liquid, or dust using a suction device, such as a vacuum cleaner, an exhaust hood, or a dental suction device. In standard Dutch the verb is separable: hij zuigt af; de afzuiger zuigt de lucht af. The form afzuigt is therefore less common as a single-word finite form; it may appear in marketing or product names or in non-standard spellings, but the normal present tense is zuigt af. The past participle is afgezogen, and the noun afzuiging refers to suction or extraction.

Common contexts:

- Household appliances: a stofzuiger creates afzuiging of stof; an afzuigkap removes cooking vapors.

- Industrial and environmental engineering: afzuiging of fumes, dust, and humidity in workshops or cleanrooms, using afzuigers and ductwork.

- Medical and dental: suction devices remove saliva and fluids during procedures.

Mechanics:

Suction is produced by a pump or blower that lowers the pressure relative to the surrounding environment, causing material to move toward the device. The efficiency depends on flow rate, pressure, and filtration.

Etymology:

The word combines prefix af- (away) with zuigen (to suck). Related terms include afzuiging (suction), afzuiger (suction device), and zuigen (to suck).