Safety-valve

//ˈseɪftɪˌvælv// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative form of safety valve. alt-of, alternative, transitive

    "[…] 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 and misery."

Verb
  1. 1
    Sometimes followed by off:; To use a relief valve on (a container holding a gas or vapour) to relieve excessive pressure which has built up inside. transitive
  2. 2
    Sometimes followed by off:; To install a relief valve on (such a container) for that purpose. transitive
  3. 3
    Sometimes followed by off:; To use some mechanism to relieve (physical or emotional pressure or tension). figuratively, transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
aegisbackstopbufferbulwarkbumpercontraceptive

Example

More examples

"[…] 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 and misery."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From safety valve (noun).

Etymology 2

See safety valve.

More for "safety-valve"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.