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ventilator

American  
[ven-tl-ey-ter] / ˈvɛn tlˌeɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that ventilates.

  2. a contrivance or opening for replacing foul or stagnant air with fresh air.

  3. Medicine/Medical.  an apparatus to produce artificial respiration, moving air into and out of a patient’s lungs.

    The patient presented with signs of respiratory failure and was placed immediately on a ventilator.


ventilator British  
/ ˈvɛntɪˌleɪtə /

noun

  1. an opening or device, such as a fan, used to ventilate a room, building, etc

  2. med a machine that maintains a flow of air into and out of the lungs of a patient who is unable to breathe normally

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ventilator

First recorded in 1735–45; ventilat(e) + -or 2

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They may require oxygen or intravenous fluid or even be put on a ventilator to help them breathe, according to the CDC.

From Los Angeles Times

The Colombian survivor arrived in his homeland "with a traumatic brain injury, sedated, medicated, and breathing with the help of a ventilator", according to Colombia's interior minister.

From BBC

Like the boy she watched suffocate because the hospital didn’t have enough ventilators.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the trialled drugs caused her to stop breathing, and she had be put on a ventilator.

From BBC

Yusuf's family called on the trust to ensure families were told that when their children were on a ventilator they may still be able to hear them, and should be encouraged to interact with them.

From BBC