Vents
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.
vent , v. t. To sell; to vend.(Obs.)
Therefore did those nations vent such
spice. Sir W. Raleigh.
vent , n. (Sp. venta a poor inn, sale,market. See Vent sale.) A baiting place; an inn.
(Obs.)
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.
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.
Longt was doubtful, both so closely pent,
Which first should issue from the narrow vent.
Pope.
2. Specifically: --
(a) (Zool.) 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 (Zool.), 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.
vent , v. t. (imp. p. pr. 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.
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