Adjacent Words

Vent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VENT, n. [L. venio, Eng. wind, etc.; properly a passage.]
1. A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or other fluid to escape; as the vent of a cask.
2. The opening in a cannon or other piece of artillery, by which fire is communicated to the charge.
3. Passage from secrecy to notice; publication.
4. The act of opening.
5. Emission; passage; escape from confinement; as, his smothered passions urge for vent.
6. Discharge; utterance; means of discharge.
Had like grief been dew'd in tears, without the vent of words -;
7. Sale; as the vent of a thousand copies of a treatise.
8. Opportunity to sell; demand.
There is no vent for any commodity except wool.
9. An inn, a baiting place. [Not in use.]
To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth.
VENT, v.t.
1. To let out at a small aperture.
2. To let out; to suffer to escape from confinement; to utter; to pour forth; as, to vent passion or complaint.
The queen of heav'n did thus her fury vent.
3. To utter; to report. [Not in use.]
4. To publish.
The sectators did greatly enrich their inventions by venting the stolen treasures of divine letters. [Not used.]
5. To sell.
Therefore did those nations vent such spice. [Not in use.]
[Instead of vent in the latter sense, we use vend.
VENT, v.i. To snuff. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a hole for the escape of gas or air [syn: vent, venthole, vent-hole, blowhole]
2: external opening of urinary or genital system of a lower vertebrate
3: a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt [syn: vent, volcano]
4: a slit in a garment (as in the back seam of a jacket)
5: activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion; "she had no other outlet for her feelings"; "he gave vent to his anger" [syn: release, outlet, vent] v
1: give expression or utterance to; "She vented her anger"; "The graduates gave vent to cheers" [syn: vent, ventilate, give vent]
2: expose to cool or cold air so as to cool or freshen; "air the old winter clothes"; "air out the smoke-filled rooms" [syn: vent, ventilate, air out, air]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, in part from ²vent, in part short for aventen to release (air), from Anglo-French aventer, alteration of Old French esventer to air, from es- ex- (from Latin ex-) + vent wind, from Latin ventus — more at wind Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to provide with a vent 2. a. to serve as a vent for <chimneys vent smoke> b. discharge, expel c. to give often vigorous or emotional expression to <vented her frustration on her coworkers> 3. to relieve by means of a vent <vented himself in a fiery letter to the editor> intransitive verb to relieve oneself by venting something (as anger) <comes home from work and vents to the kids> Synonyms: see express II. noun Etymology: Middle English, anus, outlet, probably from Anglo-French, wind, draft, outlet Date: 15th century 1. an opening for the escape of a gas or liquid or for the relief of pressure: as a. the external opening of the rectum or cloaca ; anus b. (1) pipe 3c, fumarole (2) hydrothermal vent c. an opening at the breech of a muzzle-loading gun through which fire is touched to the powder d. chiefly Scottish chimney, flue 2. an opportunity or means of escape, passage, or release ; outlet <finally gave vent to his pent-up hostility> • ventless adjective III. noun Etymology: Middle English vente, alteration of fente, from Middle French, slit, fissure, from fendre to split, from Latin findere — more at bite Date: 15th century a slit in a garment; specifically an opening in the lower part of a seam (as of a jacket or skirt) • ventless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 (also vent-hole) a hole or opening allowing motion of air etc. out of or into a confined space. 2 an outlet; free passage or play (gave vent to their indignation). 3 the anus esp. of a lower animal, serving for both excretion and reproduction. 4 the venting of an otter, beaver, etc. 5 an aperture or outlet through which volcanic products are discharged at the earth's surface. 6 a touch-hole of a gun. 7 a finger-hole in a musical instrument. 8 a flue of a chimney. --v. 1 tr. a make a vent in (a cask etc.). b provide (a machine) with a vent. 2 tr. give vent or free expression to (vented my anger on the cat). 3 intr. (of an otter or beaver) come to the surface for breath. Phrases and idioms: vent one's spleen on scold or ill-treat without cause. Derivatives: ventless adj. Etymology: partly F vent f. L ventus wind, partly F évent f. éventer expose to air f. OF esventer ult. f. L ventus wind 2. n. a slit in a garment, esp. in the lower edge of the back of a coat. Etymology: ME, var. of fent f. OF fente slip ult. f. L findere cleave

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vented; p. pr. & vb. n. Venting.] 1. To let out at a vent, or small aperture; to give passage or outlet to. 2. To suffer to escape from confinement; to let out; to utter; to pour forth; as, to vent passion or complaint. The queen of heaven did thus her fury vent. --Dryden. 3. To utter; to report; to publish. [Obs.] By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies. --Milton. Thou hast framed and vented very curious orations. --Barrow. 4. To scent, as a hound. [Obs.] --Turbervile. 5. To furnish with a vent; to make a vent in; as, to vent. a mold.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, v. t. To sell; to vend. [Obs.] Therefore did those nations vent such spice. --Sir W. Raleigh.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, n. [Sp. venta a poor inn, sale, market. See Vent sale.] A baiting place; an inn. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, v. i. [Cf. F. venter to blow, vent wind (see Ventilate); but prob influenced by E. vent an opening.] To snuff; to breathe or puff out; to snort. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, n. [OE. fent, fente, a slit, F. fente a slit, cleft, fissure, from fendre to split, L. findere; but probably confused with F. vent wind, L. ventus. See Fissure, and cf. Vent to snuff.] 1. A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or any fluid to escape; as, the vent of a cask; the vent of a mold; a volcanic vent. Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents. --Shak. Long't was doubtful, both so closely pent, Which first should issue from the narrow vent. --Pope. 2. Specifically: (a) (Zo["o]l.) The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes. (b) (Gun.) The opening at the breech of a firearm, through which fire is communicated to the powder of the charge; touchhole. (c) (Steam Boilers) Sectional area of the passage for gases divided by the length of the same passage in feet. 3. Fig.: Opportunity of escape or passage from confinement or privacy; outlet. 4. Emission; escape; passage to notice or expression; publication; utterance. Without the vent of words. --Milton. Thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel. --Shak. To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth; as, to give vent to anger. To take vent, to escape; to be made public. [R.] Vent feather (Zo["o]l.), one of the anal, or crissal, feathers of a bird. Vent field (Gun.), a flat raised surface around a vent. Vent piece. (Gun.) (a) A bush. See 4th Bush, n., 2. (b) A breech block.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vent Vent, n. [F. vente, fr. L. vendere, -itum, to sell; perh. confused with E. vent an opening. See Vend.] Sale; opportunity to sell; market. [Obs.] --Shelton. There is no vent for any commodity but of wool. --Sir W. Temple.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(vents, venting, vented) 1. A vent is a hole in something through which air can come in and smoke, gas, or smells can go out. There was a small air vent in the ceiling. = duct N-COUNT 2. If you vent your feelings, you express them forcefully. She telephoned her best friend to vent her frustration... The rioters were prevented from venting their anger on the police. VERB: V n, V n on n 3. If you give vent to your feelings, you express them forcefully. (FORMAL) She gave vent to her anger and jealousy. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Opening, hole, vent-hole. 2. Spiracle, air-tube, air-pipe, blow-hole. 3. (Ornith.) Anus. 4. (Arch.) Crenelle, loop-hole. 5. Emission, passage, outlet, escape, effusion. 6. Discharge, utterance. 7. Market, sale, opportunity to sell. II. v. a. 1. Emit, pour forth, let out. 2. Utter, give vent to.

Moby Thesaurus

air, air duct, air hole, air passage, air shaft, air tube, airway, announce, aperture, armhole, articulate, articulation, assert, avenue, blow, blow out, blowhole, blurt out, break, break it to, break the news, breakout, breathe, breathing hole, broadcast, brolly, bullet-hole, bunghole, cast out, channel, chute, clean out, clear, clear away, clear off, clear out, clear the decks, come out with, communicate, confide, confide to, cringle, deadeye, debouch, declare, defecate, deliverance, delivery, deplete, discharge, divulgate, divulge, door, drain, drogue chute, duct, dump, egress, eject, eliminate, emanation, emergence, emersion, emission, emit, empty, empty out, emunctory, enunciate, escape, escapism, estuary, evacuate, evasion, evulgate, exhaust, exit, expel, express, extrication, extrusion, eye, eyelet, fissure, flight, floodgate, flue, flume, freeing, fumarole, funnel, gasket, getaway, give, give off, give out, give vent to, grommet, guide, harness, hole, inlet, issuance, issue, jailbreak, keyhole, knothole, leak, leakage, let get around, let go, let in on, let loose, let out, liberation, loop, loophole, loose, louver, louverwork, make known, make public, manhole, mousehole, naris, nostril, opening, orifice, out, out with, outcome, outfall, outgate, outgo, outlet, pack, parachute, parachute jump, passage, peephole, pigeonhole, pinhole, pipe, placket, placket hole, pore, port, porthole, prisonbreak, proclaim, pronounce, publish, punch-hole, purge, put, release, remove, rescue, reveal, riddance, sally port, scour out, setting-free, shaft, shroud lines, sky dive, slit, slot, sluice, spilehole, spiracle, spout, state, statement, surfacing, sweep out, tap, tell, throw off, throw out, touchhole, transom, umbrella, unclog, unfoul, unleash, utter, utterance, ventage, venthole, ventiduct, ventilate, ventilating shaft, ventilator, verbalization, verbalize, vocalization, voice, void, vomitory, way out, weir, wind tunnel