butterfly valve

noun

1

: a valve consisting of two semicircular clappers hinged to a cross rib that permits fluid flow in only one direction

2

: a damper or valve in a pipe consisting of a disk turning on a bisecting axis

Examples of butterfly valve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Crews will then move on to the second ring follower gate, followed by the two butterfly valves. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026

According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the water agency, the failure involved a 15-foot-diameter section of penstock pipe between a butterfly valve and a concrete thrust block before the pipe extended down a steep hillside to the powerhouse. — Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026

The pipe typically features a butterfly valve—which is designed to regulate the flow of liquids or air—that has a rotating disk set on an axis. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 1 Aug. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for butterfly valve

• bivalve