ventilate

One entry found for ventilate.

Main Entry: ven·ti·late
Pronunciation: 'ven-t&-"lAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -lat·ed; -lat·ing
Etymology: Middle English, discussed, aired, from Late Latin ventilatus, past participle of ventilare, from Latin, to fan, winnow, from ventus wind -- more at WIND
1 a : to examine, discuss, or investigate freely and openly : EXPOSE <ventilating family quarrels in public> b : to make public : UTTER <ventilated their objections at length>
2 archaic : to free from chaff by winnowing
3 a : to expose to air and especially to a current of fresh air for purifying, curing, or refreshing <ventilate stored grain>; also : OXYGENATE, AERATE <ventilate blood in the lungs> b : to subject the lungs to ventilation <artificially ventilate a patient in respiratory distress>
4 a of a current of air : to pass or circulate through so as to freshen b : to cause fresh air to circulate through (as a room or mine)
5 : to provide an opening in (a burning structure) to permit escape of smoke and heat