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So I just noticed, one says that water condenses.

But I would define a condensate as when symmetry such as translation or rotation is broken, which is clearly not the case for gas into water. (I think in fact that these two are strictly speaking not different phases, as there exists a path in parameter space that connects them without non-analycity of the partition function.)

So what is the precise definition of condensate?

EDIT: So to address some points: Yes, there exists paths that connect liquid water to gaseous water that exhibits a sudden change in (derivatives) of the thermodynamical potential. That isn't the point however. The symmetries of both systems are still the same.

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    $\begingroup$ "Condensate" is a noun, not a verb. $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Apr 16 at 19:25
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    $\begingroup$ "one says that water condensates." Not sure if you actually saw that written somewhere, or if it is a grammar error. "Condense" is a verb and we conjugate it as: "It condenses." For example, "water vapor condenses into water, which can be called a condensate." $\endgroup$
    – hft
    Commented Apr 16 at 19:29
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    $\begingroup$ Words get overloaded and have more than one meaning. Condensate does not have one exclusive definition. $\endgroup$
    – BowlOfRed
    Commented Apr 16 at 19:41
  • $\begingroup$ Liquid water is much denser than the vapor. The change from vapor to liquid is a standard English usage for ‘to condense’ or ‘condensation’. See, for example, merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condense $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Apr 16 at 19:43
  • $\begingroup$ @BowlOfRed So what about physics? What do physicists mean by condensate? Not the colloquial usage of condensate. $\endgroup$
    – Confuse-ray30
    Commented Apr 16 at 19:53

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