ventilate

American  

[ven-tl-eyt] / ˈvɛn tlˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

ventilated, ventilating

1. to provide (a room, mine, etc.) with fresh air in place of air that has been used or contaminated.

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. to oxygenate (blood) by exposure to air in the lungs or gills.

   2. to assist the breathing of (a person), as with a respirator.

3. (of air or wind) to circulate through or blow on, so as to cool or freshen the air of.

   Cool breezes ventilated the house.

4. to expose to the action of air or wind.

   to ventilate floor timbers.

5. to submit (a question, problem, etc.) to open, full examination and discussion.

   Synonyms:

   report, circulate, publicize, broadcast

6. to give utterance or expression to (an opinion, complaint, etc.).

7. to furnish with a vent or opening, as for the escape of air or gas.

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verb (used without object)

ventilated, ventilating

1. to give utterance or expression to one's emotions, opinions, complaints, etc.

ventilate British  

/ ˈvɛntɪˌleɪt /

verb

1. to drive foul air out of (an enclosed area)

2. to provide with a means of airing

3. to expose (a question, grievance, etc) to public examination or discussion

4. physiol to oxygenate (the blood) in the capillaries of the lungs

5. to winnow (grain)

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Other Word Forms

• overventilate
  verb (used with object)
• reventilate
  verb (used with object)
• self-ventilated
  adjective
• underventilate
  verb (used with object)
• underventilated
  adjective
• unventilated
  adjective
• ventilable
  adjective
• well-ventilated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ventilate

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English ventilatten “to blow (something) away,” from Latin ventilātus (past participle of ventilāre “to fan”), equivalent to vent(us) “wind” + -il- verb suffix (variant of -ul-, originally after derivatives of nouns ending in -ulus ) + -ātus suffix forming adjectives; see origin at -ule, -ate ¹; cf. speculate, wind ¹

Explanation

To ventilate is to let something flow freely, whether it's air or ideas. It's especially important to ventilate your art studio if you're using spray paint. When a doctor uses the word ventilate, she's usually talking specifically about air moving through a patient's lungs: "We need to artificially ventilate him until his airway is clear." Otherwise, when we ventilate something, we're almost always trying to get more clean or cool air flowing in and moving around: "You need to ventilate this room better before you set up your screen printing business here." The root of ventilate means "blowing."

Example Sentences

Ventilate but little, and with care; raise the ventilating sash only high enough to let the heated air from the greenhouse drive back the outer air so as not to chill the plants.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various

Ventilate the bed every day to allow steam and ammonia fumes to pass off.

From Three Acres and Liberty by Hall, Bolton

Ventilate the churn freely and frequently during churning, until no air rushes out when the vent is opened.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9 "Dagupan" to "David" by Various

Ventilate: to open to the free passage of air.

From Agriculture for Beginners Revised Edition by Burkett, Charles William

Ventilate your bedroom thoroughly; so thoroughly that it will be practically the same as sleeping out of doors.

From The Science of Being Well by Wattles, Wallace Delois

Related Words

• vent