Oxford Dictionary English

    vent

    noun
    noun
    BrE BrE//vent//
    ; NAmE NAmE//vent//
    House equipment, Parts of animals
    Add to my wordlist
    jump to other results
  1. 1an opening that allows air, gas or liquid to pass out of or into a room, building, container, etc. air/heating vents compare register Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveair, air-conditioning, heating, … verb + ventclose, open, block, … prepositionthrough a/​the vent See full entry See related entries: House equipment
  2. 2(specialist) the opening in the body of a bird, fish, reptile or other small animal, through which waste matter is passed out See related entries: Parts of animals
  3. 3a long thin opening at the bottom of the back or side of a coat or jacket
    4.  Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 late Middle English: partly from French vent ‘wind’, from Latin ventus, reinforced by French évent, from éventer ‘expose to air’, based on Latin ventus ‘wind’. noun sense 3 late Middle English: alteration of dialect fent, from Old French fente ‘slit’, based on Latin findere ‘cleave’.Idioms
    give (full) vent to something
    Add to my wordlist
    jump to other results
    (formal) to express a feeling, especially anger, strongly Children give vent to their anger in various ways. She gave full vent to her feelings in a violent outburst.
See vent in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee vent in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: vent
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com