a small opening for the passage or escape of fumes, liquids, etc
2.
the shaft of a volcano or an aperture in the earth's crust through which lava and gases erupt
3.
the external opening of the urinary or genital systems of lower vertebrates
4.
a small aperture at the breech of old guns through which the charge was ignited
5.
an exit, escape, or passage
6.
give vent to to release (an emotion, passion, idea, etc) in an utterance or outburst
—vb
7.
to release or give expression or utterance to (an emotion, idea, etc): he vents his anger on his wife
8.
to provide a vent for or make vents in
9.
to let out (steam, liquid, etc) through a vent
[C14: from Old French esventer to blow out, from ex-1 + venter, from Vulgar Latin ventāre (unattested) to be windy, from Latin ventus wind]
'venter1
—n
'ventless1
—adj
venter (ˈvɛntə)
—n
1.
anatomy, zoology
a. the belly or abdomen of vertebrates
b. a protuberant structure or part, such as the belly of a muscle
2.
botany the swollen basal region of an archegonium, containing the developing ovum
3.
law the womb
4.
lawin venter conceived but not yet born
[C16: from Latin]
Venter (ˈvɛntə)
—n
(John) Craig. born 1946, US biologist: founder of the Institute for Genomic Research (1992) whose work contributed greatly to the mapping of the human genome