ventilate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to expose to cool or cold air so as to cool or freshen

   Many Europeans like to ventilate rooms with fresh air, even in the dead of winter.

2. 2
   verb

   to furnish with an opening to allow air to circulate or gas to escape

   We ventilated the basement.

3. 3
   verb

   to give expression or utterance to

   They ventilated their deepest secrets to their psychologists.

4. 4
   verb

   to circulate through and freshen

   The gust of air ventilated the room.

5. 5
   verb

   to expose to the circulation of fresh air so as to retard spoilage

   Wheat should be well ventilated.

6. 6
   verb

   To expose something to public examination or discussion.

   "Well, I did my best. I had no hopes, and it has worked out as I thought. It is a pure waste of time." "Not at all," Malone answered. "It has ventilated an evil. There were reporters in court. Surely some of them have some sense. They will note the injustice."

7. 7
   verb

   To breathe.

   Patients with cervical injuries usually arrive in the intensive care unit (ICU) already intubated. However, with some high thoracic or low cervical lesions, patients who ventilate independently in the emergency department may arrive in the ICU without assisted ventilation.

8. 8
   verb

   To shoot with a firearm; to pierce with bullets.

   If we went in and there was no burglar, and we got into a shooting with the homeowner and ventilated him, that would be a little difficult to explain.

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Latin ventilātus, past participle of ventilō.