mul·ti·valve
| \ ˌməl-tē-ˈvalv
, -ˌtī- \
, -ˌtī- \
Definition of multivalve
: having or involving multiple valves
multivalve heart disease
specifically, of an automotive engine
: having more than two valves in each cylinder
Older engines had only two valves per cylinder, so there was plenty of room for a nice, fat spark plug to stick its nose into the cylinder. But the majority of engines today are multivalve. You could have four or five valves cut into the top of each cylinder now, leaving much less room to fit a plug there. — Tom Magliozzi
Learn More About multivalve
Statistics for multivalve
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Multivalve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multivalve. Accessed 12 Aug. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
The Great British Vocabulary Quiz
-
- Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Name That Animal: Volume 2
Can you tell a meerkat from a wombat?
Take the quiz
-
Fashionable Words
A vocab quiz with panache
Take the quiz
-
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share multivalve
Time Traveler for multivalve
The first known use of multivalve was circa 1753
See more words from the same year