safety valve
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safety valve¹
- /ˈseɪftɪ ˌvælv/ UK
- /ˈseɪfti ˌvælv/ US
Rhymes with -ælv
Where it comes from
From safety + valve.
noun safety valves · safety-valve
- A valve set to open at a pressure below that at which a container holding a gas, vapour, etc. (such as a boiler or pressure cooker), would burst, thus reducing the pressure; a relief valve. Spun glass mattresses are used for lagging the boiler, which has three Ross pop safety valves on the front ring.
- A valve set to close a container holding a gas or vapour to prevent excessive loss of pressure.
- Any mechanism offering relief from physical or emotional pressure or tension. […] I have often thought that it was a great error in our legislature when they consented to put down the public lotteries in England. I am convinced that they were beneficial, acting as safety-valves to the gambling spirit of the nation, and that their prohibition has been productive of much crime
- A United States law, codified at 18 United States Code §3553(f), authorizing a judge to disregard mandatory minimum sentences for some criminals with few or no prior offenses. Hernández additionally requested that he be given a two-level safety-valve reduction pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5C1.2, which mitigates the harsh effect of mandatory minimum sentences on certain first-time offenders who played only supporting roles in drug-trafficking schemes and who provided testimony a
safety valve²
- /ˈseɪftɪ ˌvælv/ UK
- /ˈseɪfti ˌvælv/ US
Rhymes with -ælv
Where it comes from
See safety-valve.
verb safety valves · safety valving · safety valved · safety-valve
- Alternative form of safety-valve
Translations
Every language
noun mechanism offering relief from physical or emotional pressure or tension
| Português | válvula de escape |
|---|
noun valve set to open at a pressure below that at which a container holding a gas, vapour, etc., would burst, thus reducing the pressure
| Español | válvula de seguridad, válvula de alivio, válvula de alivio de presión, válvula de escape |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 安全弁 anzenben |
| 中文 | 安全閥 /安全阀 ānquánfá |
| Português | válvula de segurança, válvula de escape, válvula de alívio de pressão |
| Français | soupape de sécurité, soupape de décompression, soupape d'échappement |
| Deutsch | Sicherheitsventil |
| Italiano | valvola di sicurezza, valvola di emergenza |
| Română | supapa de siguranță |
| Русский | предохрани́тельный кла́пан predoxranítelʹnyj klápan |
| Tiếng Việt | van an toàn |
| العربية | صمام أمان |
| עברית | שסתום בטיחות |
Talk about this word "safety valve." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/safety%20valve. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. safety valve. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/safety%20valve "safety valve." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/safety%20valve.Cite this
@misc{safety_valve_2026,
title = {safety valve},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/safety%20valve},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
