VENT

Sale; opportunity to sell; market. [Obs.] Shelton. There is no vent for any commodity but of wool. Sir W. Temple.

To sell; to vend. [Obs.] Therefore did those nations vent such spice. Sir W. Raleigh.

A baiting place; an inn. [Obs.]

To snuff; to breathe or puff out; to snort. [Obs.] Spenser.

A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or any fluid to escape; as, the vent of a cask; the vent of a mold; a volcanic vent. Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents. Shak. Long't was doubtful, both so closely pent, Which first should issue from the narrow vent. Pope.

Specifically: --(a) (Zoöl.)

The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes.

Fig.: Opportunity of escape or passage from confinement or privacy; outlet.

Emission; escape; passage to notice or expression; publication; utterance. Without the vent of words. Milton. Thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel. Shak. To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth; as, to give vent to anger. -- To take vent, to escape; to be made public. [R.] -- Vent feather (Zoöl.), one of the anal, or crissal, feathers of a bird. -- Vent field (Gun.), a flat raised surface around a vent. -- Vent piece. (Gun.) (a) A bush. See 4th Bush, n, 2. (b) A breech block.

To let out at a vent, or small aperture; to give passage or outlet to.

To suffer to escape from confinement; to let out; to utter; to pour forth; as, to vent passion or complaint. The queen of heaven did thus her fury vent. Dryden.

To utter; to report; to publish. [Obs.] By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies. Milton. Thou hast framed and vented very curious orations. Barrow.

To scent, as a hound. [Obs.] Turbervile.

To furnish with a vent; to make a vent in; as, to vent. a mold.