valve (n.)

  1. a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it

  2. device in a brass wind instrument for varying the length of the air column to alter the pitch of a tone

  3. control consisting of a mechanical device for controlling the flow of a fluid

  4. the entire one-piece shell of a snail and certain other molluscs

  5. one of the paired hinged shells of certain molluscs and of brachiopods

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
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