valve

[ valv ]

/ vælv /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR valve ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any device for halting or controlling the flow of a liquid, gas, or other material through a passage, pipe, inlet, outlet, etc.

a hinged lid or other movable part that closes or modifies the passage in such a device.

Anatomy. a membranous fold or other structure that controls the flow of a fluid, as one that permits blood to flow in one direction only.

(in musical wind instruments of the trumpet class) a device for changing the length of the air column to alter the pitch of a tone.

Zoology.

one of the two or more separable pieces composing certain shells.
either half of the silicified shell of a diatom.

Botany.

one of the segments into which a capsule dehisces.
a flap or lidlike part of certain anthers.

Electronics (chiefly British ). vacuum tube(def 1).

Archaic. one of the leaves of a double or folding door.

verb (used with object), valved, valv·ing.

to provide with a means of controlling the flow of liquid, gas, etc., by inserting a valve.

Nearby words

valuer general, valuta, valval, valvar, valvate, valve, valve gear, valve lifter, valve spring, valve stem, valve trombone

Origin of valve

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin valvae leaves of a door

Related forms

valve·less, adjectivevalve·like, adjectiveun·der·valve, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for valve

Such and such a time, such and such a day, then trouble with the valve.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he finally opened the valve, he says, the team was able to cool the core for the first time since the crisis began.
A Nuclear Meltdown Survivor Story|Tony Doukopil|March 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
People with valve problems develop heart murmurs and may eventually need valve replacement.
The Miracle of Dick Cheney|Kent Sepkowitz|July 15, 2010|DAILY BEAST
When the valve is in its middle position it generally more than covers the steam ports.
An Introduction to Machine Drawing and Design|David Allan Low

One in which the steam pressure on the top and bottom of the valve is nearly equalized.
The Traveling Engineers' Association|Anonymous
The valve and pressure gauge had been recovered after a considerable search, and the tank could be refilled with the others.
The Wailing Octopus|Harold Leland Goodwin
The reader must remember that the valve shown in the section is only diagrammatic.
How it Works|Archibald Williams
Having opened the vent pipe valve and relieved the pressure, open the valve in the water filling tube.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting|Harold P. Manly

British Dictionary definitions for valve

valve

/ (vælv) /

noun

any device that shuts off, starts, regulates, or controls the flow of a fluid

anatomy a flaplike structure in a hollow organ, such as the heart, that controls the one-way passage of fluid through that organ

Also called: tube, vacuum tube an evacuated electron tube containing a cathode, anode, and, usually, one or more additional control electrodes. When a positive potential is applied to the anode, electrons emitted from the cathode are attracted to the anode, constituting a flow of current which can be controlled by a voltage applied to the grid to produce amplification, oscillation, etcSee also diode (def. 2), triode (def. 1), tetrode, pentode

zoology any of the separable pieces that make up the shell of a mollusc

music a device on some brass instruments by which the effective length of the tube may be varied to enable a chromatic scale to be produced

botany

any of the several parts that make up a dry dehiscent fruit, esp a capsule
either of the two halves of a diatom cell wall

archaic a leaf of a double door or of a folding door

Derived Forms

valveless, adjectivevalvelike, adjective

Word Origin for valve

C14: from Latin valva a folding door

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

Medicine definitions for valve

valve

[ vălv ]

n.

A membranous structure in a hollow organ or passage, as in an artery or vein, that folds or closes to prevent the return flow of the body fluid passing through it.

Any of various devices that regulate the flow of gases, liquids, or loose materials through piping or through apertures by opening, closing, or obstructing ports or passageways.

The movable control element of such a device.

Science definitions for valve

valve

[ vălv ]

Any of various mechanical devices that control the flow of liquids, gases, or loose material through pipes or channels by blocking and uncovering openings.
The movable part or element of such a device.

Any of various structures that prevent the backward flow of a body fluid, such as blood or lymph. Valves in the heart, veins, and lymphatic vessels contain flaps (known as cusps) that close in response to pressure created by the backflow of fluid.

One of the paired hinged shells of certain mollusks, such as clams and oysters.

See electron tube.