valve Hear it!

valve Definition

valve (valv)

noun

  1. Archaic either of the halves of a double door or any of the leaves of a folding door
  2. a gate regulating the flow of water in a sluice, channel, etc.
  3. Anat. a membranous fold or structure which permits body fluids to flow in one direction only, or opens and closes a tube, chamber, etc.
  4. Bot.
    1. any of the segments into which a pod or capsule separates when it bursts open
    2. a lidlike part in some anthers, through which pollen is discharged
    3. either of the boxlike halves forming the cell walls of a diatom
  5. Electronics
    1. a device, esp. a rectifier, that allows current to flow in only one direction
    2. Brit. electron tube
  6. Mech.
    1. any device in a pipe or tube that permits a flow in one direction only, or regulates the flow of whatever is in the pipe, by means of a flap, lid, plug, etc. acting to open or block passage
    2. the flap, lid, plug, etc.
  7. Music a device in certain brass instruments, as the trumpet, that opens (or closes) an auxiliary to the main tube, lengthening (or shortening) the air column and lowering (or raising) the pitch
  8. Zool.
    1. each separate part making up the shell of a mollusk, barnacle, etc.
    2. any of the parts forming the sheath of an ovipositor in certain insects

Etymology: ME, a door leaf < L valva, leaf of a folding door, akin to volvere, to roll: see walk; valvesenses , , < ModL valva < L

transitive verb, intransitive verb valved, valv′·ing

  1. to fit with or make use of a valve or valves
  2. to regulate the flow of (a fluid) by means of a valve or valves

valve Related Forms
valve′·less adjective
valve Synonyms

valve

n.

flap, lid, plug; see device 1, pipe 1.

Types of valves include: automatic, alarm, check, cutoff, side, overhead, dry-pipe, gate, lift, piston, rocking, safety, slide, reducing, shut-off, globe, heart, throttle, sleeve, intake, exhaust, butterfly.

valve Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • motorise: Use the existing stat in the hall to control a new motorized valve supplying the hall rad only.
  • bleed: Allow the radiator to fill and close the air bleed valve when water begins to come out.

Adjective modifier

  • thermostatic: All rooms have radiators with thermostatic radiator valves allowing you to adjust the temperature in each room.
  • mitral: He had surgery on May 3, 2001, to correct a hole in the atrium and a cleft in his mitral valve.
  • aortic: The coronary arteries come out of the aorta just after the last heart valve ( the aortic valve ).
  • tricuspid: The tricuspid valve may become narrowed or ' stenotic ' causing the valve not to open fully.
  • thermionic: Between 1941 and 1944 during the Second World War, a special purpose electronic computer using thermionic valves was developed by the British.
  • prosthetic: Patients being treated for AF will require lifelong therapy, as will those with prosthetic valves.

Modifies a noun

  • gear: They have no reversible valve gear or variable cutoff.
  • prolapse: An echocardiogram can also detect inheritable conditions such as cardiomyopathy and mitral valve prolapse.
  • trombone: The valve trombone, played superbly by Dave Hewitt, was an interesting variation.
  • spindle: January 03 2004 Keith Lines cleans out a thread hole before refitting the valve spindle covers.
  • timing: Called the Elise S, it uses a lower power 1.8-litre Toyota engine with variable valve timing.

Preposition: per

  • cylinder: Cossart valve-gear Valve gear with four piston valves per cylinder operated by rotary cams.

Noun used with modifier

  • solenoid: The appropriate setting of the opening time of the solenoid valves presents a problem.
  • non-return: The non-return valves in the outlet of the adsorption dryer prevents full pressure equalization.
  • inlet: These four ports provide a single port per inlet valve, rather than the siamesed arrangement of the original design.
  • exhaust: Single overhead cam with rocker operated exhaust valves, chain timing drive, 4 valve heads, titanium valves.
  • piston: Cossart valve-gear Valve gear with four piston valves per cylinder operated by rotary cams.
  • radiator: All rooms have radiators with thermostatic radiator valves allowing you to adjust the temperature in each room.