Read the passage. Then answer the question that follows.

THE WATER CYCLE

The water cycle is a cycle that repeats itself over and over again. After it rains, you may see a lot of water puddles on the ground. Then the sun comes out and the puddles disappear. Did you know the sun will then change the water on the ground into a gas called “water vapor”? This part of the water cycle is called evaporation (liquid changed to a gas). As the water vapor rises into the air, it sticks with pieces of dust. The air gets cooler and the vapor changes back into liquid (water). This is called condensation. The condensation collects and forms clouds. When there is too much water for the clouds to hold, the cloud bursts and precipitation falls back to earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This cycle continues again and again. Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation are the processes involved in the water cycle.

According to the passage, what does evaporation mean?