vent

Etymology 1

Partly from Middle French vent, from Latin ventus and partly from French éventer. Cognate with French vent and Spanish viento (“wind”) and ventana (“window”). Doublet of wind.

noun

1. An opening through which gases, especially air, can pass.
   the vent of a cask; the vent of a mould
   According to geologists who work in the area, the vents at Castello Aragonese have been spewing carbon dioxide for at least several hundred years, maybe longer. 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Picador, page 122
2. A small aperture.
3. An opening in a volcano from which lava or gas flows.
4. A rant; a long session of expressing verbal frustration.
5. The excretory opening of lower orders of vertebrates.
6. A slit in the seam of a garment.
7. The opening at the breech of a firearm, through which fire is communicated to the powder of the charge.
8. In steam boilers, a sectional area of the passage for gases divided by the length of the same passage in feet.
9. Opportunity of escape or passage from confinement or privacy; outlet.
10. Emission; escape; passage to notice or expression; publication; utterance.

verb

1. (intransitive) To allow gases to escape.
   The stove vents to the outside.
2. (transitive) To allow to escape through a vent.
   Exhaust is vented to the outside.
3. (transitive, intransitive) To express a strong emotion.
   He vents his anger violently.
   Can we talk? I need to vent.
   He inveighed against the folly of making oneself liable for the debts of others; vented many bitter execrations against the brother; and concluded with wishing something could be done for the unfortunate family. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
   But the demonstrators remained defiant, pouring into the streets by the thousands and venting their anger over political corruption, the high cost of living and huge public spending for the World Cup and the Olympics. June 18 2013, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-06-21
4. To snuff; to breathe or puff out; to snort.
5. (transitive) To determine the sex of (a chick) by opening up the anal vent or cloaca.

Etymology 2

Clipping of ventriloquism

noun

1. Ventriloquism.

Etymology 3

From French vente, from Latin vendere (“to sell”).

verb

1. To sell; to vend.

Etymology 4

From Spanish venta (“a poor inn, sale, market”).

noun

1. (obsolete) A baiting place; an inn.

Etymology 5

Clipping.

noun

1. (medicine, colloquial) Clipping of ventilation or ventilator.
   I have adjusted the vent settings.

verb

1. (medicine, colloquial) To ventilate; to use a ventilator; to use ventilation.