snifting valve

      English

      Etymology

      From the noise of its action.

      Noun

      snifting valve (plural snifting valves)

      1. A small valve opening into the atmosphere from the cylinder or condenser of a steam engine, to allow the escape of air when the piston makes a stroke.

      Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

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      Last modified on 10 November 2012, at 22:34