Meaning

A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum..

Definitions by Sense

1. A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.
2. (anatomy) One or more membranous partitions, flaps, or folds, which permit the passage of the contents of a vessel or cavity in one direction, but stop or control the flow in the opposite direction.
3. One of the leaves of a folding door or of a window sash.
4. (chiefly British) A vacuum tube.
5. (botany) One of the pieces into which certain fruits naturally separate when they dehisce.
6. (botany) A small portion of certain anthers, which opens like a trapdoor to allow the pollen to escape, such as in the barberry.
7. (biology) One of the pieces or divisions of bivalve or multivalve shells.
8. (biology) One of the two similar portions of the shell of a diatom.

Example Sentences

open the valve

close the valve

shut off the valve

An oil refinery has an impressively vast number and variety of valves.

the ileocecal valve

the atrioventricular valves

Word Forms

• valves
• valving
• valved

Related Words

When Should You Use Valve?

Use valve when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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