ventilator
Americannoun
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a person or thing that ventilates.
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a contrivance or opening for replacing foul or stagnant air with fresh air.
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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.
noun
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an opening or device, such as a fan, used to ventilate a room, building, etc
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med a machine that maintains a flow of air into and out of the lungs of a patient who is unable to breathe normally
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ventilator
First recorded in 1735–45; ventilat(e) + -or 2
Compare meaning
How does ventilator compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A ventilator is a machine that brings in good air that's safe to breathe and keeps bad air out. A kitchen ventilator uses fans and filters to direct greasy stove exhaust outside. There are architectural ventilators, for keeping the air inside buildings clean, and also medical ventilators, which work to keep breathable air moving in and out of a patient's lungs. This kind of ventilator is only used when someone is unable to breathe effectively on their own. In both cases, ventilators are all about air. The word comes from the Latin root ventulus, "a breeze."
Vocabulary lists containing ventilator
Novel Study: Fahrenheit 451, Part I
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Ventus and Venire
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Novel Study: A Night to Remember, Chapter 6–Passenger List
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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.
He spent nine days on a ventilator and 18 days on dialysis, during which time doctors gave him blood, platelet and plasma transfusions.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
On Wednesday, the government had released photos of him hooked up to a ventilator and visibly emaciated, after acknowledging that his situation was "critical."
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
A strict isolation facility has one bed fully equipped to deal with infectious diseases, complete with testing kit and a ventilator.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Those with severe breathing difficulties might need to be placed on a ventilator.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
“We'll fix it up. Don't worry” But Montag did not move and only stood thinking of the ventilator grille in the hall at home and what lay hidden behind the grille.
From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
